Lithuanian Jewish Community

President’s Alleged Fight against Anti-Semitism: How to Avoid Victory

by Virgis Valentinavičius, LRT.lt

President Gitanas Nausėda has spent a year and a half ignoring the fact anti-Semitism is recognized at the parliamentary level in Lithuania, and as elections were approaching he rejected proposals to create a cordon sanitaire [buffer zone] against radicals, but he finally saw the light. Just a few months before elections the president reluctantly admitted there is no place in government for anti-Semites, but from that time as well he berated proponents of this cordon sanitaire idea because, supposedly, they were motivated by immoral electoral interests.

The official called the head of state in the constitution had a partial epiphany of the threat posed by anti-Semitism, but there it ended. The story began in May and June of 2023 when Remigijus Žemaitaitis began tossing around anti-Semitic statements in public. The prosecutor found Žemaitaitis had posted anti-Semitic texts on facebook on May 8 and June 13, 14 and 15, 2023. Žemaitaitis posted anti-Semitic texts on facebook, such as: “Besides Putin another group of beasts has appeared in the world: Israel;” Lithuanian Jews together with Russians exterminated the village and population of Pirčiupiai on June 3, 1944″ and “our government representatives don’t care at all about the murder of our Lithuanians by the Jews who lived in Lithuania from 1941 to 1944.”

2024-10-242024-10-28

Vilnius Jerusalem of Lithuania Jewish Community Takes Al Jazeera to Task

The Vilnius Jerusalem of Lithuania Jewish Community posting on https://www.vilniauszydai.lt has taken strong exception to an Al Jazeera television report on a pro-Hamas protest held in Vilnius presumably months ago which included editorial content linking the Palestinian cause to the Lithuanian struggle for independence from the Soviet Union. The Community said it was disgusting and shameful to hold street marches in support of terrorism.

The pro-Hamas website palestina.lt for some reason provided a translation from Arabic (Al Jazeera mainly broadcasts in English) of the report and editorial (translated back into English here):

“There are demonstrations taking place in Lithuania to express solidarity with Palestine. From the beginning of the war in Gaza activists have held many events in public spaces in the capital Vilnius [sic, two at most]. Participants demand an end to the genocide of Palestinians. The demonstrations are being organized by palestina.lt to bring public attention to events in Palestine, to counter the pro-Israeli narrative dominant in the country’s media, to condemn the close relationship Lithuanian politicians have with Tel Aviv and to emphasize there was also oppression, deportations and colonization in the history of Lithuania dating from the Russian Empire’s period of rule (1795) through the Nazi occupation right up until the restoration of independence.”

The Jerusalem of Lithuania Jewish Community countered:

2024-10-232024-10-23

The Quiz is Back

The quiz “Kas? Kur? Kada?” [Who, what, where?] returns after the Jewish new year with tantalizing new queries by Irina Slucker and clever teams ready to compete for the gold. Everyone is welcome. The cost for participating is 7 euros.

To effect payment, send 7 euros to Lithuanian Jewish Community, bank account no. LT 06 7044 0600 0575 7425, indicating QUIZ. Registration is open till October 30 by sending an email to zanas@sc.lzb.lt.

Time: 7:00 P.M., Thursday, October 31
Place: Lithuanian Jewish Community, Vilnius

2024-10-23

Everyone Welcome at Mini-Makabiada

The Lithuanian Makabi Athletics Club is holding their annual Mini-Makabiada Sunday, November 10. Competition includes 3-on-3 basketball, volleyball, ping-pong and badminton. Registration is open to all till November 7.

Registration form: https://forms.gle/ambfhPKZsz5vDwRN8

For more information, call Daniel at 8 687 83 005.

2024-10-23

Yehuda Bauer is Dead

Holocaust survivor and scholar Yehuda Bauer passed away October 18. He was 98. He was buried at Shoval kibbutz in the Negev.

Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky, the entire Community and the World Jewish Congress mourn the passing of Yehuda Bauer and extend our deepest condolences to his family members and all who knew him.

WJC president Ronald Lauder said: “I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Prof. Yehuda Bauer, who taught generations of students and others about the Holocaust. I will never forget our last discussions at the International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism in Malmö, Sweden, in October 2021 and the passionate speech he gave on that occasion.”

2024-10-23

Germany Thwarts Planned Attack on Israeli Embassy in Berlin by Islamic State Supporter

by Maya Gur Arieh, October 20, 2024

The suspect, a Libyan citizen, was accused by Germany of supporting the terrorist ideology of the Islamic State.

A suspected supporter of Islamic State who intended to carry out an attack with firearms on the Israeli embassy in Berlin has been arrested, the Public Prosecutor General of Germany announced Sunday.

The suspect is a Libyan citizen who was only identified as “Omar A” in official statements and media and was accused by Germany of supporting the terrorist ideology of ISIS,. In order to plan and carry out the attack, he exchanged information with an alleged member of ISIS in a Messenger chat online.

The man was detained on Saturday in Bernau, a locality outside of Berlin.

Full story here.

2024-10-22

Ninth Fort Authoritarian Regime Reading Contest

The Ninth Fort Museum in Kaunas hosted their 6th reading of texts by students called “Silent Wall, Touched by Words” last week.

Kaunas Jewish Community chairman Gercas Žakas addressed the students, judges and audience, saying: “In my name and that of Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky I thank Ninth Fort Museum director Marius Pečiulis and the entire staff for holding this important event, and I thank the students and the teachers who have prepared them, for their time spent, sincerity and sensitivity.”

The students read texts about the Holocaust, the Nazi era and the Soviet era in Lithuania. The Ninth Fort Museum includes a tunnel system were Jews were imprisoned before being shot inside the Ninth Fort. Exhibits include cells with extant graffiti by murdered Jews. In the Soviet era the Ninth Fort was a de facto Holocaust memorial, if not in name, with a monumental abstract Soviet statue which remains the center piece of the museum grounds. After Lithuanian independence they became a museum showcasing Soviet atrocities as well as Nazi crimes.

2024-10-22

Palanga Jewish Community Invites You to Herring Lecture at Jonas Šliūpas Museum

Herring fishing and consumption stretches back millennia and became an integral part of Jewish cuisine centuries ago. The Jonas Šliūpas Museum is hosting a lecture by Jewish cuisine specialist Dovilė Rūkaitė on the Jewish culinary history of herring at 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday, October 23, in Palanga.

The museum recently opened an exhibit called “From the North Sea to the Christmas Table” about herring which included an interesting archaeological find: part of a cover and barrel for a 19th-century herring selection and conservation system.

Rūkaitė plans to speak on the significance of Jewish merchants and populations in popularizing the fish in Europe and will also discuss some of the classic recipes which use herring.

Time: 5:00 P.M., October 23
Place: Jonas Šliūpas Museum, Vytauto street no. 23A, Palanga
Duration: About 1 hour

The lecture is free and open to the public.

2024-10-22

Jewish Scouting Season Opens

Weekly meetings of Jewish scouts are taking place again starting at 3:00 P.M. this Sunday at the Lithuanian Jewish Community in Vilnius. The gathering should last around one hour. Jewish scouting teaches scouts Jewish culture, civic-mindedness, responsibility, independence and a number of other skills and values, and includes a lot of fun and games as well. This group is intended for scouts and potential scouts aged 6 to 18. FOr more information contact Michail Kofman by telephone at 860645o94 or send an email to skautai@lzb.lt.

2024-10-222024-10-22

Sukkot in Šiauliai

The Šiauliai Jewish Community gathered Friday to celebrate the Sabbath and Sukkot. Everyone had the opportunity to spend time in the Community’s sukka. On Wednesday the Community plans to mark the final day of Sukkot and on Thursday Simchat Torah, with guests expected from Vilnius.

Hag Sukot sameakh!

2024-10-22

Mandolin Virtuoso Avi Avital to Perform in Klaipėda

Israeli mandolin master Avi Avital will perform with the Klaipėda Chamber Orchestra works for mandolin and baroque arrangements at the Klaipėda Music Hall at 6:30 P.M. on October 26. His repertoire includes world beat, jazz and the opera of Vivaldi, Bach and Bartók, among others.

For more information, see here.

2024-10-21

Sabbath Times

The Sabbath begins at 5:54 P.M. on Friday, October 18, and concludes at 7:09 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region. Friday and Saturday are also days two and three of Sukkot and special Sabbath rules apply.

2024-10-172024-10-18

EU Foreign Ministers Call for Fighting Anti-Semitism More Actively

Foreign ministers from the EU member-states adopted another declaration October 15 for fostering Jewish life in Europe and combating anti-Semitism, the EU Council of Ministers reported.

The declaration said the current level of anti-Semitism in the EU was alarming.

“The Council demands taking more resolute actions in fighting this,” the declaration announced.

It also addressed Holocaust denial and distortion along well other forms of anti-Semitism.

2024-10-17

Sukkot Begins Today

Sukkot or Sukkos beings today, Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at sunset, or 5:59 P.M.

The festival of Sukkot–literally meaning booths, tents, tabernacles–is celebrated for seven days in Israel and eight days in the Diaspora, starting on the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. It is one of the three festivals during which Jewish men were required to make pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the times of the Holy Temple.

2024-10-16

Simchat Torah Event at the Bagel Shop Café

The weekly portions of Torah readings ends and begins again. To mark the end of the cycle and the beginning of the new, you’re invited to a Simchat Torah celebration with the musical duet of Borisas Kizneris and Michailas Bolshunas, and a performance by Michailas Javichius on saxophone, at the Bagel Shop Café.

The cost is 15 euros. Registration required. Send an email to zanas@sc.lzb.lt or call (+370) 678 81514 before noon Thursday.

Time: 7:00 P.M., Friday, October 25
Place: Bagel Shop Café

2024-10-16

Women’s Club Meeting Friday

Dear reader,

The Women’s Club will be expecting you again this Friday, and this meeting will be especially fun and delicious as we make quiches and pastries.

This time of year is special, the High Holy Days, and we cannot avoid the holiday spirit. THis Friday we celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, when we sit down at the table together with our families and also treat those who come by. So, dear homemakers, we will learn to make the Israeli dish pashtida, sometimes called a kugel, which resembles a quiche, and layered apple pastries.

A good time is guaranteed.

Please register before noon on Thursday by sending an email to zanas@sc.lzb.lt or by calling (+370) 678 81514. Space is limited.

Time: 6:30 P.M., Friday, October 18
Place: Bagel Shop Café, Pylimo street no. 4, Vilnius

2024-10-15

Condolences

Maratas Šeimanas passed away October 13. He was born in 1937. He was a Lithuanian Jewish Community member and Saul Kagan Welfare Center client. Our deepest condolences to the wife and son he left behind.

2024-10-15