In the name of the members of the Goodwill Foundation and the Lithuanian Jewish Community’s executive board we extend our deepest condolences to the widow, mother and entire family of the late Charles Temel. Temel was recently appointed to serve on the investment committee of the Goodwill Foundation.
The Sabbath begins at 8:04 P.M. on Friday, April 15, and concludes at 9:23 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region.
The LJC is pleased to announce registration is open for the Sounding North Jerusalem children and youth orchestra camp to be held from August 15 to August 25 in the Lithuanian resort of Preila.
Registration consists of selecting a musical work you’ve learned over the last academic year, filming yourself performing it for at least five minutes, and sending the video or a link to the video to dariusmazintas0@gmail.com, which is also the address to write for more information. Submissions are encouraged from outside Lithuania as well.
Matzo is now available for Passover in the foyer on the first floor of the Lithuanian Jewish Community located at Pylimo street no. 4 in Vilnius. A half-kilogram box costs 5 euros, 1 kg costs 10. Purchases may be made between 10:00 A.M and 6:00 P.M. on weekdays until April 15.
Happy 65th birthday to our friend Leonidas Melnikas. Leonidas recently won the Ona Narbutienė prize for his two-volume biography “Maestro Saulius Sondeckis” (Vilnius 2020, 2021), among his many other achievements and recognitions.
Happy birthday, Leonidas. Mazl tov. Bis 120!
by David Stromberg
After war in Ukraine broke out, Motl Gordon moved to Israel where he’s working with Russian-speaking Jews to nurture a vision of an audaciously welcoming new diaspora
On the morning of February 24, 2022, Motl Gordon woke up to the news that Russia had invaded Ukraine.
“It dawned on me that it’s another epoch now,” Gordon told the Times of Israel in a recent interview in Jerusalem. Within two hours he, his wife and their two kids had airline tickets, and within 10 hours they were on a plane to Warsaw.
Gordon spent the last five years leading an independent Jewish community in Moscow, Sredi Svoih (Among Our Own). Just minutes after deciding to leave, Gordon went to the synagogue to lead a Torah lesson and morning prayers. He didn’t tell his congregants about his plans–it wasn’t clear to him yet that he would succeed in actually boarding the flight.
The Sabbath begins at 7:50 P.M. on Friday, April 8, and concludes at 9:09 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region.
On April 28 the world will mark Yom haShoah, Holocaust Day. The Lithuanian Jewish Community invites everyone to attend a ceremony to commemorate Holocaust victims on that day. The commemoration will take place at the Ponar Memorial Complex outside Vilnius at 12 noon on Thursday, April 28. It is expected to last 30 minutes. This is an initiative by the Lithuanian Jewish Community.
Faina Kukliansky, chairwoman
Lithuanian Jewish Community
A bus will transport people from the LJC at Pylimo street no. 4 in Vilnius. Prior registration is required by calling 868506900 or sending an email to office@lzb.lt
The long-awaited shipment of matzo has reached the Lithuanian Jewish Community. We will begin distributing it to every Jewish household in Lithuania very soon in the run-up to Passover which begins April 15.
Community members are invited to a traditional Sabbath dinner accompanied by guitar music. There will be the traditional Sabbath prayer followed by dinner, and if you play guitar, or sing, feel free to join in the music afterwards. Bring your own guitar!
When: 6:30 P.M., April 8
Where: Bagel Shop Café
Cost: 15 euros
Registration: viljamas@lzb.lt, telephone number +37067250699
The Lithuanian Jewish Community is upset by continuing attacks at the Ponar Memorial Complex mass murder site. We do not understand the apathy demonstrated by the institutions responsible and have written Lithuanian prime minister Ingrida Šimonytė and interior minister Agnė Bilotaitė demanding rapid action to stop these repeated attacks and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky said:
“The continuing attacks at the Ponar mass murder site transgress all bounds. This is a holy site for the entire Lithuanian Jewish community and the Lithuanian state. We all understand what is signified by the letter Z which was written on the memorial commemorating Holocaust victims.
“State institutions can no longer pretend this is not Lithuania’s responsibility because, despite the nice words, nothing is happening. The representatives of the state likely think it’s sufficient to attend a commemoration once per year at Ponar and the rest of the year the memorial complex can swim in garbage, and host drinking parties. Although the Lithuanian state took the memorial complex under its protection back in 1991, it apparently sees no need up to the present time to actually maintain it. The infrastructure there is lacking and security there is best illustrated by the events of recent days. Is it so difficult to set up even a minimal security system there, even just video cameras? Is the state saving money this way? What sort of signal does this send about the state’s attitude towards the Holocaust in Lithuania and the tragedy of the Jews of Lithuania? We will not stay silent and look on passively as swastikas and the letter Z are drawn at sites which are sacred to us. We will not stay silent because we know what kind of signal this is sending to us as a community. The entire Lithuanian Jewish Community is disgusted, insulted and hurt, and we will not allow this to go on.”
You and your family are invited to celebrate Passover together with the Lithuanian Jewish Community.
Location: Natali restaurant
Date: 7:00 P.M., April 15
Registration before April 13
Tickets for adults: 25 euros
Tickets for children aged 3 to 13: 10 euros
To register, contact Žana at zanas@sc.lzb.lt or call Julija Segal at +37065952604
The second series of “Sunday school” #KinderTiš classes is beginning. Passover, one of the most important Jewish holidays, is coming. Not only should we know the traditions and significance of the Passover holy days, but we should also known how to prepare for the Passover seder. You are invited to come discuss Passover traditions at the Bagel Shop Café at 4:00 P.M. on April 14. And of course there will be a culinary lesson about Passover foods and ke’arah seder plate. We will also make matzo kugel together and will refresh our knowledge for making khremslakh, Passover pancakes.
Children aged 5 to 12 are invited to attend. While you’re waiting, we invite you to send us a letter telling us about your family’s traditional Passover dishes and what your favorites are. We are hoping to hold more classes more often in the #KinderTiš series of events.
To register, click here.
For more information, contact projects@lzb.lt
Arkadijus Vinokuras will lead a discussion on what Lithuania’s ethnic minority communities think about the Russian invasion of the Ukraine at 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday, April 13, at the Bagel Shop Café.
The Sabbath begins at 7:37 P.M. on Friday, April 1, and concludes at 8:53 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region.
The Lithuanian Jewish Community condemns the recent cynical vandalism at the Ponar Memorial Complex mass murder site. Institutional and public apathy regarding such attacks is unacceptable.
We demand the responsible institutions this disgusting vandalism as quickly as possible. We are convinced that this practice of never finding anyone responsible for anti-Semitic crimes in Lithuania cannot go on. This is on the same scale as the recently reported bombing of the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial in the Ukraine.
The Lithuanian Jewish Community is deeply concerned by the recent terrorist attacks in Israel made against civilian residents of Israel.
We condemn these barbaric acts of terror by extremist groups and call upon responsible leaders of the religious and political communities to stop the spilling of blood immediately.
In the name of the Lithuanian Jewish Community we extend our deep condolences to the families of the victims who have died.
Wishing you the strength and courage needed to survive these difficult times,
Faina Kukliansky, chairwoman
Lithuanian Jewish Community
A Kabbalat Shabat ceremony will be held on the zoom platform at 6:30 P.M. on Friday, April 1. To register, write Viljamas at viljamas@lzb.lt.
Dearest Polina,
The Union of Former Ghetto and Concentration Camp Prisoners and the entire Lithuanian Jewish Community wish you a happy birthday this milestone year.
We don’t count the years in life, they fall to the ground like white petals. They fly on the wind and never stop. But sometimes we are allowed to look back. Forget the difficult days. Only remember the joyous ones and may this milestone birthday be woven of dreams.
We wish you happiness and good health. Many more, and may that refrain echo many more years. Mazl tov! Bis 120!
Mark Isakovič of Radviliškis passed away March 29. He was born in 1925. We extend our deepest condolences to his daughter Vera and his grandchildren.
