Announcements

Never Give Up

There’s a song sung in Israel, and when the first bars ring out, most people stand. It’s called by several names–Zog Nit Keynmol, Don’t Say Never, We’re Still Here, the Partisan Hymn or Anthem–but the title isn’t important. The content is. And the content comes from the Vilna ghetto, a poem in Yiddish by the young Hirsh Glik, put to music by his friend Rachel Margolis, a young blonde, blue-eyed Jewish girl who joined the underground, survived, and spent much of the rest of her life engaged in Holocaust education.

Glik died during the Holocaust; Margolis passed away only a few years ago. According to Margolis, Glik read the poem to her on a cold winter day on a corner in the Vilnius ghetto where Rudninkų square is now located. She said there were buildings there then. As Glik read the poem, she began to hear music between the lines, from a Russian film she had seen. Both young people went to the FPO, the underground partisan organization in the ghetto, and asked permission to make the words and music the official anthem of the FPO youth section. The leadership agreed.

Now there’s a project for Jewish day schools around the world to teach the song to a new generation of young people. Eli Rabinowitz of Perth, Australia, is teaching children in Australia, Israel and South Africa and there are plans for new performances around Yom haShoah, Holocaust Day commemorated in Israel, this year on April 23.

The Jewish press in South Africa and Australia has done extensive coverage of the Partisan Hymn Project and the Vilnius ORT Sholem Aleichem Gymnasium in Vilnius is a pioneer in making the project happen. The World ORT organization is supporting the project and plans to post some video performances before Yom haShoah.

For more information, see here.

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Holocaust Escape Tunnel

At ground zero for the final solution, scientists uncover a story of hope and bravery.
Airing April 19, 2017, at 9 P.M. on PBS

Program Description

For centuries, the Lithuanian city of Vilna was one of the most important Jewish centers in the world, earning the title “Jerusalem of the North” until World War II, when the Nazis murdered about 95% of its Jewish population and reduced its synagogues and cultural institutions to ruins. The Soviets finished the job, paving over the remnants of Vilna’s famous Great Synagogue so thoroughly that few today know it ever existed. Now, an international team of archaeologists is trying to rediscover this forgotten world, excavating the remains of its Great Synagogue and searching for proof of one of Vilna’s greatest secrets: a lost escape tunnel dug by Jewish prisoners inside a horrific Nazi execution site.

PBS program announcement here.

For more, see:
http://www.lzb.lt/en/2016/07/01/picking-up-the-pieces/
http://www.lzb.lt/en/2016/07/24/israeli-antiquities-authority-reports-major-finds-in-lithuania/
http://www.lzb.lt/en/2017/01/02/new-york-times-ponar-top-science-story-in-2016/

Passover Greetings from Lithuanian Jewish Community Chairwoman Faina Kukliansky

Passover is a wonderful time to give thanks to the Most High for our release many years ago from slavery, to give thanks for what we have now and to think about the future.

It’s better not wait for manna to fall from heaven, but rather to get to work ourselves now. All Jews in the community need to do this. I say the word “community” in the broad sense. I have always said that our community concept extends beyond that of membership. Recently, however, as if by the instructions from a stage director (and the scene being acted out is, sadly, rather cliché), a large number of hitherto unseen, unknown members have been flooding the Community. We didn’t think there were so many Jews in Vilnius. Since members of the Vilnius Jewish Community receive a box of matzo without charge, we might run out.

We hope the new members will be active not just during the coming election for the post of chairman of the Vilnius Jewish Community, but also in everyday activities. We need to work, not to expect a miracle with outstretched hand, a miracle which might not be repeated.

I wish everyone a beautiful Passover holiday.

Aida’s Secrets

On the eve of Yom haShoah, the Israeli embassy to Lithuania invites you to the only screening of Aida’s Secrets on Sunday, April, 23, in the main salon at the Pasaka Theater at Šv. Ignoto street no. 4 in Vilnius. Entrance is free to the public, but the number of seats is limited, so in order to guarantee yourself a seat, please RSVP the embassy of Israel by April 20: e-mail press@vilnius.mfa.gov.il, phone (8 5) 2502510

About the film:

The two brothers Izak and Shepsel were born in a displaced persons camp after World War II. They lived their entire lives in the shadow of secrets kept from them by the people closest to them. The brothers were separated as babies, neither was told the other existed. An investigation into the mysterious history of their birth family led to an amazing reunion after six decades. The film offers a rare glimpse into the displaced persons camps in post-World War II Germany, showing the vibrant and sometime wild social life that flourished among the young survivors. This period has hardly been dealt with on screen until now.

A Different Sort of Passover

At 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, April 11, 2017, we will meet at the cozy Beata’s Kitchen (Beatos virtuvė) on Gedimino prospect in the heart of Vilnius. This year for Passover not only will we enjoy a delicious meal, but we’ll make it ourselves. Our guide on this culinary journey will be writer, cook and wife of former Lithuanian ambassador to Israel Nida Degutienė.

Degutienė moved to Israel and lived there 5 years, studying at Herzliya University and learning about Israeli culture and cuisine in her free time.

Her book Taste of Israel has won awards in the category of Jewish cooking. Her recipes on her internet page www.nidosreceptai.lt and the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/nidos.receptai/ are also quite popular.

Accompanying us will be Rabbi Shimshon Isaacson who will help us learn more about the traditions and religious significance of this holiday.

Please register by internet:
http://apklausa.lt/f/pesach-seder-su-nida-degutiene-f8q5wh3/answers/new.fullpage

Chess Tournament

The Lithuanian Jewish Community and the Rositsan and Maccabi Elite Chess and Checkers Club invite you to a chess tournament at 12:00 noon on Saturday, April 22 at the Lithuanian Jewish Community at Pylimo street no. 4 in Vilnius. Tournament director FIDE master Boris Rositsan, contact for further information and to register at info@metbor.lt or call +3706 5543556

Kosher Kitchens Goes In at Choral Synagogue

Vilniaus Sinagogoje įrengta košerinė virtuvė

The Vilnius Jewish Community is happy to announce a new kosher kitchen was set up at the Choral Synagogue in Vilnius. The minimal but tasteful kitchen interior fits in with the existing space, uses the same combination of colors, has wooden components and didn’t disturb the existing wooden floor. The renovation was designed by Viktorija Sideraitė who is a contractor to the company Real Taste under the direction of Saulius Blaževičius.

The kitchen space at the synagogue has been awaiting renovation for a very long time. Here’s a “before” picture:

Pictures of the new kosher kitchen space can be seen here.

Vilnius Synagogue Map Launched

“When we speak of Jewish cultural heritage, we don’t mean a foreign people who lived apart from everything and one day decided to move. We’re talking about what was in Lithuania, about the Lithuanian nation’s heritage, not just of the Jews,” Israeli ambassador to Lithuania Amir Maimon said Friday at the launch of map of the synagogues of Vilnius held at the ambassadorial residence. One of the goals of the map project was to show just how interconnected Jewish and Lithuanian history is.

Of 135 Synagogues, Only One Remains

The map contains a total of 135 sites of synagogues which operated before the Holocaust. Most of the synagogues were located in the Vilnius Old Town, around the Jewish area of the city centering on the Great Synagogue and spreading along Vokiečių, Gaono and Stiklių streets. There were more than 30 synagogues located in that compact area, but none of them remain. The synagogues were razed and other buildings built in their place, or the sites were used as public spaces.

Full story in Lithuanian here.

Vilna Gaon Museum on New Jewish Museum Proposal

The Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum has issued a statement via press release about a recent proposal by Lithuanian officials to set up a Holocaust-free new Jewish museum in the Palace of Sports or next to it on land which contains the centuries-old historic Jewish graveyard of Vilnius.

Let’s Create a Strategic Strategy for Jewish Heritage, Not Disneyland

The Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum was disappointed by information appearing in the press last week about plans by government institutions to establish another Jewish museum in the Lithuanian capital instead of assuring support for existing projects.

The Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum, whose sections are housed in authentic buildings closely connected with the Jewish history of Vilnius, has recently been undergoing an intense and productive period. We host international events at the highest level, for example, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance conference held on March 22 and 23, and the number of visitors is constantly growing. New permanent exhibitions are being created for installation in our historic buildings, including the opening this fall of a new Samuel Bak Museum, showcasing the Litvak painter’s life and works, and in the near future we also intend to open the Museum of Lithuanian Jewish Culture, aka the Litvak Center and a dedicated Lithuanian Holocaust and Vilnius ghetto memorial museum, which has attracted the attention of international museum organizations including ICOM.

The latter museum is to be housed in the historical building on Žemaitijos street (former Strashun street) which was listed as a cultural treasure last month. This is the building which housed the Mefitsei Haskalah library before World War II and the Vilnius ghetto library during the war. which organized cultural events inside the ghetto and served as a secret meeting place for members of the ghetto resistance organization. In 1945 Holocaust survivors established the short-lived Jewish Museum in the building, quickly shut down by the Soviet government. The Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum intends to reutilize the building for Holocaust education. After the museum has these additional sections, a unique route will be created for the visitor to explore Jewish Vilna.

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Come Observe Passover at the Choral Synagogue

Dear Community members,

We invite you to come to a kosher Passover Seder at the Choral Synagogue in Vilnius at 9:00 P.M. on April 10.

The cost is 7 euros.

Please pick up an invitation at the synagogue on workdays from 9 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.

For those who wish to pray, please come to the evening prayer on April 10 which will begin at 8:00 P.M.

Family Seder

Bring your whole family to the Lithuanian Jewish Community Passover Seder starting at 5:00 P.M. on April 15 at the Radisson Blue Hotel Lietuva, Konstitucijos street no. 20, Vilnius. Tickets are 12 euros. For more information and to buy tickets from April 4 to April 12, contact Žana Skudovičienė at telephone 867881514 or Julija Lipšic at 865952604.

On the Meeting of the Board of the Vilnius Jewish Community

Dear members of the board of the Vilnius Jewish Community,

I would like to inform you that a demand was received on March 23 signed by Vilnius Jewish Community (VJC) board members Aleksandr Arončik, Simon Ceitlinas, Arkadij Goldin, Aleksandras Lukas Jurevičius, Dovydas Kocas, Margarita Koževatova, Simonas Portnoj, Simon Gurevičius and Rachmil Garber to convene a meeting of the VJC executive board on March 30, 2017, to discuss the issues of convening an extraordinary VJC conference and of adopting new VJC members as well as confirming existing memberships.

I would like to thank the above-mentioned LJC board members for their initiative and also to state that this demand is not legally correct according to the regulations of the VJC and the laws of the Republic of Lithuania (the reasons are indicated in a letter to VJC board members which will be sent to all VJC board members by registered mail).

We would like to inform you that the plan is to convoke the board of the VJC at 6:00 P.M. on April 28, 2017, and to ask that VJC board members mark the date on their schedules. Information about elections will be posted on the official Community website, www.lzb.lt, and we also invite anyone with questions about the elections to contact us.

Sincerely,

Faina Kukliansky, chairwoman
Vilnius Jewish Community

Panevėžys Jewish Community Passover Celebrations

The Panevėžys Jewish Community greet you on the upcoming holiday of Passover and invite you to a series of events for the holiday:

April 6 Concert “From a Forgotten Book” at the Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė Panevėžys Regional Public Library, Respublikos street no. 14 at 5:00 P.M.

April 10 First Passover Seder at the Rojaus paukštė café, Respublikos street no. 4A at 6:30 P.M.

April 11 Second Passover Seder at the Panevėžys Jewish Community, Ramygalos street no. 18 at 2:00 P.M.

April 14 Third Passover Seder and Sabbath at the Panevėžys Jewish Community, Ramygalos street no. 18 at 2:00 P.M.

Vilnius Jewish Community Elections for 2017

Vilnius Jewish Community Elections for 2017

The Lithuanian Jewish Community’s webpage is providing information about election procedures for the Vilnius Jewish Community and there will be a method for commenting implemented for upcoming elections.

Vilnius Jewish Community Elections for 2017

 

Dates for Sittings of the Vilnius Jewish Community Board of Directors and Vilnius Jewish Community Conference

Section 7, point 7.1.1 of the regulations of the Vilnius Jewish Community provides a conference of the Vilnius Jewish Community must be convoked and organized by the Vilnius Jewish Community once annually and not more than 4 months after the end of the fiscal year and following independent audit. The Vilnius Jewish Community is planning to hold a meeting of the Vilnius Jewish Community board of directors in April, 2017, at which an annual activities and financial report of the Vilnius Jewish Community and the results of an independent financial audit will be presented, and a decision adopted on the convocation and agenda of a Vilnius Jewish Community conference. Section 7, point 7.1.2 of the regulations of the Vilnius Jewish Community provides announcement of the convening of a conference of the Vilnius Jewish Community must be made publicly in the Lithuanian newspaper Lietuvos rytas at least 30 calendar days in advance of the conference. The announcement must include the date, location and agenda. Based on this point the Vilnius Jewish Community is planning to hold a conference in May or June of 2017.

Voting at the Vilnius Jewish Community Conference

Section 7, point 7.2.12 of the regulations of the Vilnius Jewish Community says each member of the Vilnius Jewish Community has a single vote. The number of members participating at the Vilnius Jewish Community conference is determined from registration pages where Vilnius Jewish Community members attending the conference have registered. A quorum is established by consent of the Vilnius Jewish Community and based on common sense. Once a quorum has been established, it is considered to be in effect throughout the Vilnius Jewish Community conference. Note that based on section 7, point 7.2.13 of the regulations of the Vilnius Jewish Community if there is no quorum determined for the Vilnius Jewish Community conference, a repeat conference must be called after 5 days but before 15 days have elapsed which has the right to make decisions on the agenda of the previous failed conference without regard to the number of Vilnius Jewish Community members participating. Member are to be informed of the repeat Vilnius Jewish Community conference in the same way as the first Vilnius Jewish Community conference was called. Therefore the Vilnius Jewish Community calls upon all Vilnius Jewish Community members to be active, to follow informational announcements and to participate at the Vilnius Jewish Community conference, so that a second conference wouldn’t be necessary.

Section 7, point 7.2.14 of the regulations of the Vilnius Jewish Community prescribes decisions are adopted by a simple majority of votes, i.e., a decision is made if more participating Vilnius Jewish Community members vote “for” than the number voting “against” (abstentions aren’t counted and those voting to abstain are not considered participants in the poll). Note that the chairman of the Vilnius Jewish Community is elected if more than half of the members participating at the Vilnius Jewish Community conference vote for him (section 9, point 9.2.2 of the regulations of the Vilnius Jewish Community). If no candidate receives more than half of the votes, another poll is held. In the second poll the two candidates with the largest number of votes compete. The candidate in the second poll with the largest number of votes is considered elected (section 9, point 9.2.3 of the regulations of the Vilnius Jewish Community).

Under section 7, point 7.2.15 of the regulations of the Vilnius Jewish Community, decisions at the Vilnius Jewish Community are adopted through a public vote. Secret balloting may be held if more than half of the Vilnius Jewish Community members participating demand it.

Section 7, point 7.2.5 of the regulations of the Vilnius Jewish Community provides that a Vilnius Jewish Community member (real person) who is unable to participate at the Vilnius Jewish Community conference may authorize another member to cast a vote in his place on all items on the agenda of the Vilnius Jewish Community conference. Such authorization must indicate clearly how the proxy is to vote on each item on the agenda. Under the laws of the Republic of Lithuania, these powers granted by a real person to represent another in relation with corporate entities must be confirmed by notary public.

Current Term of Office of Chairman of the Vilnius Jewish Community

Faina Kukliansky was elected chairwoman of the Vilnius Jewish Community April 3, 2013. Based on the regulations of the Vilnius Jewish Community, the chairman of the Vilnius Jewish Community is elected once every four years. That means the current term of Faina Kukliansky ends on April 3, 2017, but the person in the post of chairman/chairwoman of the Vilnius Jewish Community will remain in that post until a new person is elected if she is re-elected, in this case at the Vilnius Jewish Community conference in 2017, under the procedures set forth in the regulations of the Vilnius Jewish Community.

Additional Information

The Vilnius Jewish Community calls upon its members to take part actively in the election for the post of chairman/chairwoman of the Vilnius Jewish Community and recommends members become acquainted with the regulations and articles of incorporation and the membership roster of the Vilnius Jewish Community which may be inspected on work days at the office of Monika Antanaitytė (room 201, second floor, Lithuanian Jewish Community, Vilnius). Membership rolls will not be made available to the general public via internet. If you aren’t sure whether you are a member, find out by contacing Monika Antanaitytė, info@lzb.lt, telephone +370 672 40942.

Note as well that all Vilnius Jewish Community members planning to attend the Vilnius Jewish Community conference must have paid their membership dues for the period before the conference.

Under section 5, point 5.3 of the regulations of the Vilnius Jewish Community, the Vilnius Jewish Community board of directors may suspend a member’s activities on the Vilnius Jewish Community board of directors and/or in the Vilnius Jewish Community if that member has systematically (more than three times) failed to pay membership dues.

New LJC Project to Make Recommendations on Anti-Semitism at EU Level

Remembrance. Responsibility. The Future. These are the sequential steps leading to real changes in society. The future of democracy and tolerance depends on memory and responsibility assumed, allowing for moving forward. A step towards the future–after surveying, judging and adopting expertise from the best initiatives aimed at fighting discrimination–this is the goal of this new start-up project.

The new project is called Development and Publication of Recommendations for Actions to Fight Anti-Semitism and Romophobia in Lithuania.

The project is supported by the Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft foundation or EVZ in Germany. This foundation supports systematic and long-term studies of discrimination against and marginalization of Jews and Roma in Europe.

The Lithuanian Jewish Community has brought together a group of leading experts from among Lithuanian human rights organizations, community activists, academics and specialists from abroad. This group is undertaking to come up with effective and valuable recommendations on actions for fighting anti-Semitism and Romophobia in Lithuania.

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Remembering the Children’s Aktion in Kaunas

The Kaunas Jewish Community invites you to come and remember the victims of the Children’s Aktion in the Kaunas ghetto during the Holocaust. Approximately 2,000 children were murdered during the mass murder operation. This will be the 73rd anniversary of that tragic day. The event will be held at 4:00 P.M. on March 24 at E. Ožeškienės street no. 13 in Kaunas.