The Vilnius Jewish religious community extends its greetings to all on one of the most significant Jewish holidays—Passover—and informs that, due to Mr. Krinsky’s (who is neither the rabbi of the Vilnius Choral synagogue nor of the Vilnius Jewish Religious Community) refusal to sign a liability agreement for an event he intended to organize, the Vilnius Jewish Religious Community as the sole owner and administrator of the Choral Synagogue in Vilnius has made the decision to temporarily close the synagogue.

On February 7, 2025, while celebrating his wife Dina Krinsky’s birthday, Mr. Krinsky gathered a group of guests at the Choral Synagogue. Some of the guests became ill after the banquet and several were hospitalized with salmonella.

Contrary to the requirements of the laws of Lithuania and the internal regulations of the Choral Synagogue, Mr. Krinsky did not report this incident in the prescribed manner and as a result, this information remained unknown to the institutions responsible for sanitation and hygiene.

The Vilnius Jewish Religious Community refuses to take any responsibility for Mr. Krinsky’s actions and therefore demanded that all events organized by his community in the Choral synagogue take place only upon the signing of a liability agreement. This agreement, in addition to Halachic laws, would include commitments to comply with hygiene, fire safety and occupational safety standards. Unfortunately, Mr. Krinsky refused to sign the liability agreement.

In accordance with the laws of Lithuania and in the interest of ensuring the safety of Community members, the Vilnius Jewish Religious Community was forced to temporarily close the Vilnius Choral synagogue. The Passover Seder on April 12 took place at the premises of the Lithuanian Jewish Community.

We emphasize that Mr. Krinsky has his own community premises, where he is also free to organize events.

We remind that Passover is a family holiday that brings together Jews of all ages around the same table and those who are alone are always invited to join the community or are welcomed in the homes of community members.

We would also like to take this opportunity to draw attention to the fact that the media platforms used by Mr. Krinsky continuously disseminate slanderous claims alleging that he is being discriminated in Lithuania and that he is not receiving funding for his activities. These claims are misinformation. We once again remind that all activities in our country are regulated by legal acts. The Goodwill Foundation is also bound by these laws and cannot allocate funding to an organization that refuses to submit an application, the necessary documents and mandatory reports. Mr. Krinsky, an American who has been living in Lithuania for 30 years, must also comply with the laws of Lithuania and show respect toward Lithuanian Jews. By refusing to follow legally established procedures, he himself obstructs the funding of his own activities. Furthermore, in our opinion, disrespect toward Lithuanian Jews and deliberate harmful behavior are incompatible with the conduct expected of a rabbi.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Administration of the Vilnius Jewish Religious Community