The Sabbath begins at 9:43 P.M. on Friday, July 18, and concludes at 11:00 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region. Sabbath candles should be lit at 9:25 P.M. and completed before sunset at 9:43 P.M. Sunday is International Chess Day.

The Sabbath begins at 9:43 P.M. on Friday, July 18, and concludes at 11:00 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region. Sabbath candles should be lit at 9:25 P.M. and completed before sunset at 9:43 P.M. Sunday is International Chess Day.
Natalja Cheifec continues her lecture and discussion series on Jewish tradition. The next internet zoom meeting on Thursday will focus on vegetarianism in Jewish life. From the story of Cain and Abel in biblical history, Nazi theories about subhumans to the 21st century controversial ad campaign “Holocaust on your plate,” she’ll cover the gamut of issues from the micro to the macro view on diet, including:
• When the dinner table transforms into a “sacred altar;”
• Joy from meat and wine: myth or truth? {from Maimonides);
• Jewish principles regarding meat consumption;
• The heirarcyh of all God’s creatures;
• Sympathy for animals in Jewish tradition, why people were given dominion over the animals, and the contradiction of pity for animals and meat consumption.
To receive zoom credentials, click here.
Time: 6:00 P.M., Thursday, July 17
Place: zoom vidphone app, internet
The Kaunas Jewish Community has the pleasure of inviting you to a celebration of the 125th anniversary of the birthday of Volf Kagan with a concert performed by the Kiryat Ono youth orchestra from Israel.
Kagan came from Balbirishok and served in the volunteer army in the first Lithuanian republic. He fought in the early battles for independence and was awarded the medal Knight of the Order of the Cross of Vytis twice.
The Kiryat Ono youth orchestra’s program includes works by Lithuanian composer Čiurlionis, traditional European and Near Eastern melodies contemporary Israeli music and some excursions into jazz and pop arrangements.
The concert is free and open to the public.
Time: 5:00 P.M., Monday, July 21
Place: Great Hall, Vytautas Magnus University, Gimnazijos street no. 71, Kaunas
The Sabbath begins at 9:51 P.M. on Friday, July 11, and concludes at 11:13 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region. Sabbath candles should be lit at 9:33 P.M. and completed before sunset at 9:51 P.M. Sunday is the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne in Great Britain and the weekend plus Monday is the celebration of National Day in Mongolia.
Natalja Cheifec continues her lecture and discussion series Thursday with a lesson on what kosher food requirements means and how they affects Jewish life. To receive zoom credentials and view and participate in the discussion, click here.
Time: 6:00 P.M., Thursday, July 10
Place: internet
The Sabbath begins at 9:57 P.M. on Friday, July 4, and concludes at 11:24 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region. Sabbath candles should be lit at 9:39 P.M. and completed before sunset at 9:57 P.M. July 4 is Independence Day in America and is a national holiday there with foreign embassies closed. July 6 is Coronation of Mindaugas Day in Lithuania, also a state holiday but fallis on a Sunday this year.
Aleksandra Jacovskytė’s exhibit Punktyras opened July 2 at the Artifex Gallery of the Vilnius Art Academy. It will run till July 25.
Jacovskytė’s works on display include drawings in pen and pencil made on found scraps of paper, freehand drawings made without plan nor narrative.
Jacovskytė is a lauded artist in Lithuania whose media include drawing, photography, graphic design and even scenography and costumes for the stage. Her work on the play “Always Yours, Anne Frank” earned her recognition in the form of the Golden Cross of the Stage award. Her works are on display in museums and demonstration spaces throughout Lithuania.
Time: July 2-25, 2025
Place Artifex Gallery, Gaono street no. 1, Vilnius
The Samuel Bak Museum at the Vilna Gaon Jewish History Museum’s Tolerance Center will host a presentation of a catalog of works of art by Samuel Bak. There will be a number of speakers including Bak himself.
Time: 6:00 P.M., July 2
Place: Samuel Bak Museum, Naugarduko street no. 10, Vilnius
The Šiauliai District Jewish Community invites you to come celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Leiba Lipshitz. The Community and the Aušra Museum in Šiauliai will mark the date with an event commemorating this chronicler of the Šiauliai Jewish community in the 20th century and well-known personality with a presentation by historian Jonas Kiriliauskas.
Time: 4:00 P.M., Wednesday, July 16
Place: The Chaim Frenkl Villa and Museum, Vilnius street no. 74, Šiauliai
The Sabbath begins at 9:59 P.M. on Friday, June 26, and concludes at 11:31 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region. Sabbath candles should be lit at 9:41 P.M. and completed before sunset at 9:59 P.M.
The Sabbath begins at 9:59 P.M. on Friday, June 20, and concludes at 11:32 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region. Sabbath candles should be lit at 9:41 P.M. and completed before sunset at 9:59 P.M. In various countries the summer solstice is celebrated on various days from June 20 to 23, the longest day of the year and the official beginning of summer. In Lithuania June 24 is St. John”s Day and is a non-work day.
The Sholem Aleichem ORT Gymnasium in Vilnius will host two weeks of Yiddish course at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels under the tutelage of Dov-Ber Kerler and Anna Vershik–both teachers at the former Vilnius Yiddish Institute’s summer courses–and Yuri Vedenyapin from Poland August 3-15. The cost is €350 per student and registration is open now by clicking the following link:
https://forms.gle/DR4nzbXrDS84TVQ37
Beginners need no knowledge of the language at all but the instructors say knowledge of the Hebrew alphabet would be a big help. For more information, write to: yiddishcourse@ort.lt
Lithuanian Makabi Athletics Club will hold for the first time a paddle tennis competition. Registrations is open till June 24. The cost is 30 euros per person or 60 euros for a team. To register click here. For more information, write info@maccabi.lt
Time: 11:00 A,M. to 2:00 P.M., Sunday, June 29
Place: Fanai paddle ball courts, Metalo street no. 2, Vilnius
ewish scouting leader Michail Adomui Kofman is planning a scouting camp at the Vaitlunkis camp and recreation area in the Panevėžys district to be reached and exited by boat from July 2 to July 8.
The program includes abundant activities, four meals per day, amenities and camp badges and emblems.
The cost is 90 years for the full program, 15 euros per day for part-time participants and a donation of 30 euros from adult volunteers and older scouts. Part-time volunteers are asked to pay 5 euros per day. Parents and guests attending visitor’s day are asked to pay 10 euroes per day. Scout leaders supervising groups of young people are not asked to pay anything. There are discounts for two children from the same family at 75 euros per person, and 3 members of the same family pay just 6- euros each. Discouns don’t apply to adult family members.
Milana Rozovskaja will lead a filmmaking workshop/camp for young people aged 7 to 14 from July 27 to August 1. Instruction will include fundamentals of cinematic literary from writing scenes, character development, animation to special effects. The young people will perform in their own films and will do video and audio editing. The intensive workshop will conclude with screenings of the films produced.
To register, click here. For more information, call Milana at+370 686 59719.
Natalka Cheifec will deliver her weekly lecture on Jewish life followed by discussion on Jewish judicial commissions, i.e., Jewish courts. The internet lecture and dsicussion starts at 6:30 P.M. this Tursday, June 19, via the zoom platform.
Among the topics she plans to address:
• Criteria for selecting judges;
• Definition of theft and its eight species;
• Punishment for murder;
• Definition of unintentional homicide;
• The death penalty;
• Greater guilt of inciter over perpetrator;
• Definition of bribery;
• Sanctuary;
• Rules of war.
To receive zoom credentials, click here.
The Sabbath begins at 9:56 P.M. on Friday, June 13, and concludes at 11:29 P.M. on Saturday in the Vilnius region. Sabbath candles should be lit at 9:38 P.M. and completed before sunset at 9:56 P.M. Saturday is Flag Day un the United States.
The Vilnius Jewish Public Library is pleased to announce a presentation of a translation of Shmaryahu Pustopetsky’s book From Lithuania to Israel via Siberia on Monday, June 16.
Translators Regina Kopilevich, an accomplished genealogist and tourist guide for Jewish Vilna, and historian and author Dalia Epšteinaitė will discuss the book with sociologist and historian Violeta Davoliūtė who specializes in family studies as moderator.
Pustopetsjy was a military officer in pre-World War II independent Lithuania, and was deported to Siberia, He was an active member of the Beitar movement before the Holocaust. In the book, he discusses both world wars, Litvak culture in the 1930s, the story of the so-called prisoners of Zion and the brutal prison camps under Stalin.
Time: 6:00 P.M., Monday, June 16
Place: Vilnius Jewish Public Library, Gedimino prospect no. 24, Vilnius
Natalja Cheifec’s internet discussion club will meet via the zoom platform this Thursday, June 12, at 5:30 P.M. To receive zoom credentials, click here.
Belarussian musicians will present their new album Yiddish Veršes with a performance of tracks at Petras Cvirka Park in Vilnius on June 13, which Vilnius Culture Night.
Tok Rukoo, Sveta Ben and Syndrom Samazvanca have created a musical interpretation of early 20th century Yiddish poetry from Belarus.
The performance of selections will be followed by a discussion at the bar of the outdoor performance space Cvi Park.
The organizers are the Blearussian-Jewish Cultural Heritage Center, Radio Plato, the Goethe Institute in Vilnius and the Cvi Park outdoor Israeli street food kiosk.
Tracks can be heard here: https://bnd.lc/ydver
Time: 8:00 P,M., Friday, June 13
Place: Petras Cvirka Park, Pylimo street no. 4 across from the LJC, Vilnius