Faina Kukliansky Wins Election to Head Lithuanian Jewish Community
Faina Kukliansky was elected to a second term as chairwoman at Lithuanian Jewish Community elections held last Sunday. Monika Antanaitytė, Chief of Staff at the LJC, said the chairwoman won with a majority of votes, explaining all votes were cast for her with three abstentions. No votes were cast for Simonas Gurevičius, Antanaitytė told Lithuanian media.
Choral Synagogue under Repair
The electrical system and roof of the Choral Synagogue in Vilnius are being replaced thanks to financial aid from the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture and the Lithuanian Cultural Heritage Department. The schedule for services will not change. During construction tourists will not be admitted into the synagogue. We apologize for the temporary inconvenience.
Shmuel (Simas) Levinas, chairman
Vilnius Jewish Religious Community
Abi Men Zet Zikh Club Celebrates Shavuot
The Abi Men Zet Zich Club and the Social Program Department invite their clients to come celebrate Shavuot at 2:00 P.M., May 30, at the Lithuanian Jewish Community.
Rabbi Samson Izakson, cantpr Shmuel Yaatom and Markas Volynskis will be there. Traditional Shavuot foods will be served. For more information contact Žana Skudovičienė at +3706 78 81514.
Faina Kukliansky Re-elected Lithuanian Jewish Community Chairwoman
Vilnius, May 28, BNS–Faina Kukliansky was re-elected for a second term at Lithuanian Jewish Community elections Sunday. Competitor Simonas Gurevičius called the poll illegitimate and said he would take the matter to court.
Monika Antanaitytė, the director of the LJC secretariat, told BNS “Faina Kukliansky won with a majority of votes. Electors either voted for Kukliansky, or abstained. No votes were cast in favor of Gurevičius.” She said she was unable to provide the exact breakdown of votes at the current time.
Simonas Gurevičius told BNS the Vilnius Jewish Community would bring a case to court over decisions by the election conference to create artificial barriers to Jews who wanted to observe the election, and what he alleged were irregularities in the election violating the regulations of the Lithuanian Jewish Community.
Apology
We apologize for the appearance on the Community webpage of a hasty, unedited news item on the evening of May 24. The contents did not and do not reflect the official position of the Lithuanian Jewish Community nor that of the Vilnius Jewish Community. In line with completely justified criticisms our readers sent in by email, we completely re-edited and updated the news item, but because the continuing impassioned, unproductive and offensive discussions on social media, we decided to remove it entirely.
Sincerely,
Faina Kukliansky, chairwoman
Lithuanian Jewish Community
Litvak Artist on Exhibit at LJC
Solomon Teitselbaum’s paintings will go on display at the Lithuanian Jewish Community exhibit called “In Search of Spiritual Support” with an opening ceremony at 5:00 P.M., May 25, 2017, on the third floor of the LJC, Pylimo street no. 4, Vilnius. Prints will be available for purchase at the opening.
Good Will Foundation Invites Public to Book Launch, Concert
The Goodwill Foundation invites you to a presentation of Rūta Guzevičiūtė’s book “Wanderings of Jewish Costume in Time and Space” and a Jewish music concert at the Lithuanian Jewish Community, Pylimo street no. 4, Vilnius at 6:00 P.M. on Thursday, June 1. The group of well-known musicians will perform for you: dr. Marija Krupoves-Berg – vocals, Andrius Balachovičius – accordion, Arkadijus Gotesmanas – percussion, Borisas Kirzneris – violin.
Update: Vilnius Jewish Community Conference WILL NOT TAKE PLACE May 24
Dear members of the Vilnius Jewish Community,
I would like to inform you that the meeting called for 6:00 P.M., May 24, 2017, of the conference of the Vilnius Jewish Community (VJC) is not sanctioned for the following reasons:
1. Secretary of the VJC executive board meeting Simon Gurevičius failed to apprise the chairwoman of the VJC of the contents of the agenda by the executive board of the VJC within the time-frame defined in the articles of incorporation and regulations of the VJC, whereas under the requirements of the legal acts of the Republic of Lithuania the meeting secretary must first of all draft the contents of the agenda in collaboration with the chair and provide the presiding chair the opportunity to present criticisms and suggestions, correct portions of the agenda and only then is the official act for the meeting agenda signed;
2. The secretary of the meeting of the executive board in presenting the proposed agenda and not providing the opportunity for making criticisms and amendments has violated point 8.3.4 of the VJC regulations, which require performance of this within five days of the preceding meeting;
3. In not drafting the agenda with the chair of the VJC and in not drafting together the text of the announcement for the VJC conference, the secretary of the meeting of the executive board of the VJC on his own initiative and wantonly published it as a paid advertisement in the April 22, 2017, (Saturday) edition of the newspaper Lietuvos rytas;
4. Furthermore, in personally on his own volition posting the announcement, the secretary of the meeting of the executive board of the VJC violated the April 19, 2017, resolution of the executive board of the VJC in his April 22, 2017, announcement on the calling of a VJC conference in the newspaper Lietuvos rytas by saying that he alone was holding and organizing the conference, instead of the organizational committee. “Concerning all questions related with the conference, please contact Simonas Gurevičius, email simonas.gurevicius@gmail.com, telephone +370 659 96 690.” Information about the candidates should be accessible equally and uniformly, and therefore one of the candidates cannot personally assume all functions connected with the provision of information about the elections;
5. The same situation occurred in the choice of venue for the VJC conference, the venue for the VJC conference (conference hall, Karolina Park Hotel, Sausio 13-osios street no. 2, Vilnius) was chosen without consulting the chairwoman of the VJC;
6. The announcement presented by the secretary of the meeting of the VJC conference to the newspaper Lietuvos rytas at his own behest concerning the upcoming meeting of the VJC conference is rescinded because it was not drafted in conformity to the laws of Lithuania with a decision adopted by the executive board of the VJC and was drafted without consultation concerning its contents.
Based on the above material, I would like to inform you that a new meeting of the executive board of the VJC will be called in the near future (with a preliminary date of June 8 of this year) where it will be decided anew on the issue of the date, venue and agenda of a conference of the executive board of the VJC in 2017.
Respectfully,
Faina Kukliansky, chairwoman
Vilnius Jewish Community
Vilnius Jewish Community Conference WILL NOT TAKE PLACE May 24
We would like to inform you the conference of the Vilnius Jewish Community announced by one member of the executive board of the Vilnius Jewish Community acting on his own volition and without general consent to be held 6:00 P.M. on May 24 (notice was made in the April 22 issue of the newspaper Lietuvos rytas) will not take place, and that the announcement of the meeting is retracted by the Vilnius Jewish Community.
Community members will receive an announcement about the 2017 conference of the Vilnius Jewish Community in the near future when the date, venue and agenda for the future conference is confirmed by the executive board of the Vilnius Jewish Community.
Faina Kukliansky,
Community chairwoman
Important Information for Social Programs Department Clients
The Social Programs Department of the Lithuanian Jewish Community has learned members of the Vilnius Jewish Community have been getting telephone calls with requests for information about the assistance and/or compensation they are receiving and asking for personal information. If this happened to you, you WERE NOT called by the Social Programs Department which is not conducting any such surveys.
Please be careful and critical, telephone scammers are very good at what they do. Do not divulge any information to people you don’t know over the telephone or by email. These criminals specialize in gaining the confidence of their victims in order to steal their money. If you received a suspicious telephone call, please report it to the Social Programs Department immediately:
telephone (8 5) 2613 003
email info@lzb.lt
Oldest Wooden Synagogue in Pakruojis Opens after Renovation
The renovated wooden synagogue in Pakruojis, Lithuania, was opened to the public on May 19.
Jews settled in Pakruojis in the 1710s. The majority were merchants and they contributed heavily to the growth of the local economy. The growing Jewish population affected the growth of the town and its social life. In 1787 and 1788 the town suffered large fires. Only 5 of 42 Jewish homes survived. The Jewish population grew right up until World War I. In 1939 there were 120 Jewish families living in Pakruojis.
Footage by Skirmantas Jankauskas for lzb.lt
Pakruojis teacher Janina Mykolaitienė recalls the Jews who lived there:
Simonas Gurevičius Announces Candidacy for Chairman of Vilnius Jewish Community and Lithuanian Jewish Community
To members of the Lithuanian and Vilnius Jewish Communities
Simonas Gurevičius
economist, lecturer, long-time Jewish Community volunteer, former executive director of Lithuanian Jewish Community
www.facebook.com/simonas.gurevichius
www.facebook.com/simonas.gurevichius.public.page
simonas.gurevicius@gmail.com
As many already know, several months ago I decided to become a candidate for the post of community chairman. This decision didn’t arise out of nothing, but was the result of several years of watching the community’s activities, of conversations with community members, of discussions which often concluded with calls, encouragement and requests I contest the post. My candidacy for this demanding and honorable post is the natural result of long-term and intentional action. My activities and life in the community, after all, began in my childhood.
Over the last few years the community has changed and I am no longer able to remain on the sidelines. I know and believe I can return to the community’s its lost essence, without devaluing that part of the community’s work which has been beneficial over those years.
After more than 10 years of volunteer work at the community, I spent the same amount of time performing as the executive director of the Lithuanian Jewish Community. This was very intense work requiring much experience, broad understanding, knowledge and talent. This was one of the most significant periods in my work-life, demanding responsibility and very complex, when I spent more time at community events and engaged in community projects than I did at home. But this period was also one of the most meaningful. During that period I lived constantly with the idea of the community’s development and improvement, and its beautiful future.
LJC Support to Rescuers
The Lithuanian Jewish Community’s Social Programs Department is continuing the project begun in 2014 in 2017 to provide aid to elderly WWII-era rescuers of Jews from the Holocaust, financed by the Goodwill Foundation.
Seventy-six Righteous Gentiles received personal letters wishing them good health and wellness. Each rescuer will receive up to 326 euros this year.
Arkadijus Vinokuras Announces Candidacy for Chairman of Vilnius Jewish Community
To members of the Vilnius Jewish Community
Arkadijus Vinokuras,
writer, journalist, actor
http://www.vinokuras.lt/cv/
arkadijus@vinokuras.lt
Hello.
Today I made a deeply-considered important decision not easy for me and my family, to become a candidate for chairman of the Vilnius Jewish Community. The main consideration in my decision was that only one candidate is seeking to assume the posts of chairman of the Vilnius Jewish Community and the Lithuanian Jewish Community pretending to be a democrat. The reality is different: the rules for a democratic election have been violated. In the name of personal and group interests, without regard to any principles of democratic elections, cynically dividing the community. And completely forgetting that the community is not a business enterprise, the chairman/woman is not an average manager, and the post of chairman is not a career step or a source of income. In the political, cultural and social sense, and finally in the sense of seriousness and solidarity, this division does not benefit any member of the Jewish community.
…
Transparency. This is a basic requirement for any candidate. A candidate should not have any problems with law enforcement, the tax inspectorate or the social insurance fund. What the future chairman of the VJC needs least of all is the specter of trials or debts. I myself am a member of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party’s Ethics and Procedures Commission and a member of the Lithuanian Journalists Union. I don’t have such specters. Unfortunately, candidate … Simonas Gurevičius possibly does, which he hasn’t made public. It is a matter of public record the Vakonda Group company has accused him of fraud, taking part in the embezzlement of 77,965.34 euros. This case has reached the Lithuanian Prosecutor’s Office. I would like to immediately stress the principle of the presumption of innocence which says a person is not guilty until proven otherwise. All the same, it would be intelligent and honest for every candidate to take care of similar accusations before announcing, so that there wouldn’t be any suspicions or lingering shadows. Therefore I sincerely hope Simonas Gurevičius does just that as quickly as possible.
…
Full announcement in Lithuanian here.
Lithuanian Maccabee Games to Celebrate 100th Birthday of Lithuanian Makabi
Time: May 21, 2107
Location: Tauras Sports School, Žygio street no. 46, Vilnius
Program
12:00 noon Basketball (3 x 3), free-throw contest
1:00 P.M. Lithuanian Maccabee Games opening ceremony
1:30 P.M. Indoor soccer
3:00 P.M. Volleyball
1:30-4:00 P.M. Ping-pong, chess
4:50 P.M. Ceremony, meal, awards
Responsible parties:
Soccer: Gercas Žakas
Basketball: Gercas Žakas
Volleyball: Gercas Žakas
Ping-pong: Michailas Duškesas
Chess: Daniel Dubrovin
Secretary: Olga Bliumenzon
Participants: Teams from Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Panevėžys, Šiauliai, Ukmergė and other towns. Director of Lithuanian Maccabee Games: Lithuanian Makabi Athletics Club president Semionas Finkelšteinas. Lithuanian Maccabee Games senior referee: Lithuanian Makabi Athletics Club executive director Michailas Duškesas
Note: the program might change following final applications from all teams
Director Sought for New Jewish Kindergarten
The Lithuanian Jewish Community has announced a candidate search for the best person to fill the post of director of the planned private Jewish kindergarten Shalom. Requirements include perfect fluency in Lithuanian and specific levels of proficiency in English, Russian and Hebrew.
Full details in Lithuanian here.
Gesher and Kaveret Clubs to Screen Zookeeper’s Wife in Russian
The Gesher and Kaveret Clubs of the Lithuanian Jewish Community are to screen a Russian-language version of the film the Zookeeper’s Wife (2017) at 7:00 P.M., May 22, 2017, on the third floor at LJC headquarters located at Pylimo street no. 4 in Vilnius. The American film is about the rescue of Jews from the Holocaust by the Warsaw Zoo zookeeper and his wife. For more information, call Žana Skudovičienė at 370 678 81514.
Meet LJC Chairwoman Faina Kukliansky and Watch the Film Dialogue with Joseph by Elžbieta Josadė
We kindly invite Jewish young people and the general public to a screening of a documentary film by Elžbieta Josadė called Dialogue with Joseph on at 7:00 P.M. on May 18 at the Pasaka Theater (Šv. Ignoto street no. 4/3, Vilnius). After the film you may meet and discuss with film director Elžbieta Josadė and editor Rareş lenasoaie. Entrance is free to the public.
Dialogue with Josef was honored with a special jury award at the international competition Jihlava IDFF 2016 in the Overseas category and Best Central and Eastern Europe Documentary Film subcategory. The national premiere was November 2016 at the Scanorama film forum.
About the film:
“Joseph paints the earth and the sky with no other ambition than to observe and to gain a better understanding of the landscape‘s visual structure. Shyly, the filmmaker follows her father in his work and in this so particular space which surrounds him.“
At 6:00 P.M., just before the screening of the film, we invite young people from the Jewish Community to an informal meeting at the restaurant La Boheme (Šv. Ignoto street no. 4/3, Vilnius, right next door to the Pasaka Theater) with Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky. We will discuss Jewish heritage, future prospects for the Jewish community and other issues.
Kabbalas Shabbos
Come meet the Sabbath with the LJC’s Gesher Club.
Time: 7:30 P.M., Friday, May 19, 2017
Location: d’Eco Bar and Restaurant, Dominikonų street no. 15, Vilnius
Cost: 10 euros
Please call Žana Skudovičienė at 370 678 81514 to reserve a seat.