Greetings

Happy Birthday to Fania Brancovskaja

Happy Birthday to Fania Brancovskaja

Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky visited Jewish partisan Fania Brancovskaja at home to personally give the Community’s greetings on two special occasions: Fania’s birthday on May 22 and Victory Day, marking the end of the Holocaust in Europe. Fania Brancovskaja was a Jewish partisan who fought the Nazis in Lithuania. Since the end of the Holocaust Fania has devoted her life to keeping the memory of the victims alive and teaching the new generations about what happened. Mazl tov. Bis 120!

LJC Chairwoman Greets Veterans

LJC Chairwoman Greets Veterans

Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman made home visits to greet WWII veterans on the occasion of Victory Day this year. Usually the LJC holds an event on May 8 and/or May 9, VE Day and Victory Day, respectively, at the LJC in Vilnius under the aegis of the Seniors Club, but our aging soldiers are finding it more and more difficult to make that trip, so chairwoman Kukliansky went to them instead. She visited 99-year-old Community member Eliziejus Rimanas and Aleksandras Asovskis who will celebrate his 102nd birthday in the next few days.

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Fayerlakh Celebrates Israel’s 75th

Fayerlakh Celebrates Israel’s 75th

The Fayerlakh Jewish song and dance ensemble gave a special presentation dedicated to celebrating Israel’s 75th birthday called Promised Land. Friends from the Israeli embassy were there and took some nice photographs of the event.

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Makabi Table Tennis Team Takes 2nd Place in Lithuanian Competition

Makabi Table Tennis Team Takes 2nd Place in Lithuanian Competition

The Lithuanian Makabi Athletics Club’s women’s table tennis team took second place in Lithuanian play-offs held last weekend in VIlnius, meaning they’re now in the upper league in Lithuania and will play next year against the top dozen teams. Neta Alon made a strong showing and won 3:0 against the favorite. Makabi team players won against the teams from Šiauliai and Utena and only lost to Jonava.

This is the first time Makabi ping-pong players have risen to the upper leagues in Lithuania.

Sholem Aleichem ORT Gymnasium students Uosis Račinskas and Jokūbas Kačerginskis won in team-play championship in the under-12 category. They began playing two years ago under the tutelage of Neta Alon, and are now training under Khen Alon. In singles-play Uosis Račinskas placed 5th in Lithuania and Jokūbas Kačerginskis 6th.

LJC Seniors Club Celebrates 25th Birthday

LJC Seniors Club Celebrates 25th Birthday

The Seniors Club at the Lithuanian Jewish Community in Vilnius celebrated its 25th birthday on Wednesday, April 26.

“Back when the seniors club began operation and now as well the date coincides with the anniversary of Israeli independence. Back in 1988 Israel was turning 50, and now 75. So it’s a double celebration and twice the fun,” LJC programs director Žana Skudovičienė who has been director of the seniors club for its entire 25 years, said.

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Happy Birthday to Gercas Žakas

Happy Birthday to Gercas Žakas

We wish Gercas Žakas a very happy birthday. He serves as the chairman of the Kaunas Jewish Community and on the executive board of the Goodwill Foundation. Happy birthday wishes from Faina Kukliansky and the entire Lithuanian Jewish Community. May your energy, work and enthusiasm continue for many years to come. Be in good health. Mazl tov. Bis 120!

Passover at the Šiauliai Regional Jewish Community

Passover at the Šiauliai Regional Jewish Community

The Šiauliai Regional Jewish Community began celebrating Passover April 5, beginning with the seder in the evening, the first one on the evening of April 5 led by Rabbi Sholom Ber Krinsky’s sons. On April 6 members of the Šiauliai Regional Jewish Community gathered at the Žemaitis restaurant for the second evening’s seder. Community chairman Naum Gleizer greeted the celebrants who were served the traditional Passover dishes. Community member Vadimas Kamrazeris provided for the Jewish music at the restaurant, which led to sing-alongs and dancing.

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Passover in Kaunas

Passover in Kaunas

The Kaunas Jewish Community sent in some snapshots from Passover celebrations in Lithuania’s second city. The holiday celebration there included the traditional dishes, a concert, dance music and even a quiz for people to test their knowledge of Passover.

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Passover at the Lithuanian Jewish Community in Vilnius

Passover at the Lithuanian Jewish Community in Vilnius

Passover is usually a family holiday where everyone sits down at the seder table, reads the Hagadah, samples the traditional dishes and has fun. What about those who don’t have families?

LJC programs director Žana Skudovičienė said: “Many of our Community’s elderly are alone. Their families have left and their friends are busy. We are their family, so we celebrate together.”

Professionals prepared the meals for the seniors at the seder and LJC chairwoman Faina Kukliansky greeted everyone with Passover.

Our younger members certainly don’t lack for attention from their families, but even so, Žana Skudovičienė organized a special seder for young people.

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Happy Easter

Happy Easter

Happy Easter greetings. We wish you a warm, joyful and happy holiday of renewal!

Faina Kukliansky, chairwoman
Lithuanian Jewish Community

Lithuanian PM Sends Passover Greetings

Lithuanian PM Sends Passover Greetings

Lithuanian prime minister Ingrida Šimonytė has issued greetings on the Jewish holiday of Passover:

“The Passover holiday has been associated with essential values for millennia and testifies to the spiritual rebirth and aspiration to freedom of the Jewish people. This is an important reminder especially today to all of us that only free people are capable of overcoming the most horrific losses, only they can be happy and only they are able to create a life for themselves and the state courageously. The special spirit of this holiday teaches us that, led by faith, we can cross the driest dessert, cross the most powerful seas, and reach the Promised Land. I sincerely greet the Jews of Lithuania and the world on the occasion of Passover and wish the joy of sharing accompanies your seder, and that faith, love and hope never abandon your heart nor your home. Hag Pesakh sameakh!”

Happy Birthday to Naum Gleizer

Happy Birthday to Naum Gleizer

Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky in the name of the entire Community wishes Šiauliai Regional Jewish Community chairman Naum Gleizer a very happy birthday.

We wish you good health, a great mood and many fruitful years to come. Mazl tov. Bis 120!

Happy Birthday to Aleksandra Narsevič

Happy Birthday to Aleksandra Narsevič

The Lithuanian Jewish Community and the Panevėžys Jewish Community wish a very happy birthday to Aleksandra Narsevič. We wish you many bright days, unforgettable moments and eternal friendships.

Panevėžys Jewish Community chairman Gennady Kofman:

The year has passed like fog in a ravine,
Like a song at twilight.
It has flown like the fluff of a dandelion,
Scattering in our hair
Like white blossoms.
It was meaningful, and happy.
The year was hard like stones.
So today from our heart we wish you
A happy year and many more to come.

Mazl tov. Bis 120!

Panevėžys, Lithuania
March 28, 2023

Happy Birthday to Josif Burštein

Happy Birthday to Josif Burštein

A very happy birthday from the entire Lithuanian Jewish Community and chairwoman Faina Kukliansky to Josif Burštein, who has been an active member of the Šiauliai Jewish Community since its inception in 1988 and served as chairman and executive board member there, as well as serving on the executive board of the Lithuanian Jewish Community. We wish you continuing good health, energy, happiness and the fulfillment of your dreams. Mazl tov. Bis 120!