Former Israeli ambassador to Lithuania Amir Maimon and wife Tal visited the Šiauliai Jewish Community earlier this week. He recalled warmly his first visit to the Community and attended a barbecue with members. He also inspected an oak tree he planted seven years ago.

The group visited the grave of Sania Karbelis. Karbelis was the energetic chairman of the Šiauliai Jewish Community for many years before his unexpected. early death while serving in the post. Amir Maimon performed kaddish at the grave side.

Amir Maimon was sent to Ethiopia in 1990 to open an Israeli embassy there. He was a key figure in Operation Solomon, the airlift and repatriation of 14.325 Ethiopian Jews to Israel. Maimon was a lieutenant colonel in Israel’s elite paratrooper corps. He served as a diplomat in London, Ottawa, Ankara and Washington, D. C., before becoming Israel’s first ambassador to Lithuania. After that he served until recently as Israel’s ambassador to Australia.