Executive director of the Lithuanian Jewish Community Renaldas Vaisbrodas delivered the following address by chairwoman Faina Kukliansky to a conference called “How Should We Commemorate the Site of the Great Synagogue of VIlnius?” on August 4, 2017:

Dear participants of the international conference How Should We Commemorate the Site of the Great Synagogue of VIlnius?”,

Thank you to the organizers for the opportunity to deliver a keynote speech in the name of the chairwoman of the Lithuanian Jewish Community.

I’d like to use this opportunity to address the conference and ask: who could answer the question posed by this conference better than the Jews of Lithuania? Thanks to the initiative and active efforts of the Lithuanian Jewish Community recently, important Litvak heritage monuments and symbols of culture again enjoy the possibility of being restored in our country, recalling the great past of the Jerusalem of Lithuania and preserving it for future generations.

It is plain to see that no questions regarding the commemoration of the Great Synagogue of Vilnius or questions regarding any other Lithuanian Jewish heritage can be considered without first insuring the appropriate involvement and participation of the Lithuanian Jewish Community. The Great Synagogue is one of our, of Litvaks, most remarkable cultural/sacral symbols whose commemoration cannot be taken hostage by the ambitions to self-realization of any discrete commercial or personal group. Recently performed archaeological work has shown that much more of the Great Synagogue survives than was realized hitherto. The Lithuanian Jewish Community has both the right and the duty to use all measures at its disposal to insure these artifacts of the Temple are commemorated appropriately, that the dignity and spirit of the Shulhoyf is preserved and that due respect is paid to the site.

I believe that all forms of discussion about Litvak heritage, including the possibilities and methods for commemorating the Great Synagogue, will only increase in the future. This conference represents one such form, and therefore I praise the organizers for providing a jumping-off point for discussing ideas for commemorating the Great Synagogue. We hope this will become a productive dialogue. We are open to ideas and are prepared to bring together initiatives by authoritative heritage specialists and public organization on this matter.

I thank the organizers and the participants of this event and invite cooperation based on mutual respect.