Liucija Lavrenova has passed away. She was born in 1937. She was a member of the Kaunas Jewish Community and a client of the Saul Kagan Welfare Center. Our sincere condolences to her daughter, other family members and friends.
Hanukkah Greetings
Dear friends,
We live in unusual times. We are surriunded by the danger of war. In our historical homeland Israel the war has not ended, people are still fighting and dying. In Ukraine people are suffering because of the actions of the aggressor.
I never thought I would live under conditions of war. I thought this generation, of ou children and grandchildren, would grow up without war. But this is what has happened, without regard to what we wanted.
Despite all these tragic circumstances, the holidays still go on, bringing light, jope and joy. Each day we light a candle to remind ourselves the world is entirely dark. There are also good developments in life, there is hope all the wats will end, we will be safe and our children and grandchildren will be sage, healthy and happy and won’t have to face these dangers in the future.
Hanukkah, the festival of lights, jas been celebrated xince ancient times. Ot gives us hope that in the country where we live anti-Semitism will disappear and demonstrations against Israel will fade away. Instead of crying, we will fight anti-Semitism.
I wish you all the best. Most importantly, I wish you health, happiness, hope and a happy Hanukkah.
Hag urim sameakh,
Faina Kuklianksy, chairwoman
Lithuanian Jewish Community
Natalja Cheifec on the Miracle of Hanukkah, Part 2
Natalja Cheifec continues her lecture begun last week on the miracle of Hanukkah in the run-up to the Jewish winter holiday.
What does the Most High do during Hanukkah? Why do Jews gaze at the candle flame during this holiday? What are the doughnuts, sufganyot and Hanukkah gelt all about? Tune in and find out! To receive zoom credentials, click here.
Time: 6:00 P.M., Thursday, December 11
Place: internet
Courage and Hope: Remembering the Rescuers
The Palanga Jewish Community and the Jonas Šliūpas Museum in Palanga are holding an event to remember the courage displayed by the Righteous Gentiles, those who rescued Jews from the Holocaust. MEP professor Liudas Mažylis will share his insights and Palanga Jewish Community chairman Vilius Gutmanas will talk about his family’s experience. The Mažylis family rescued Jews and were recognized posthumously as Righteous Gentiles by Yad Vashem in 2006. The presentation and discussion will be in Lithuanian. The event is free and open to the public.
Time: 5:00 P.M., December 11
Place: Jonas Šliūpas Museum, Vytauto street no. 23A, Palanga
Family Event Waiting for Hanukkah
Hanukkah us more than just lighting the eight candles on the menorah, it’s a time to have a good time with family and friends, a time for children to play and adults to talk. With that in mind we invite you to the Waiting for Hanukkah celebration this Saturday, December 6 starting at 2:00 P.M. at the renovated Bagel Shop café now known as Pylimo 4 located at Pylimo street no. 4 in Vilnius. We’ll make doughnuts, spin the dreidl, play other games and sing and dance. Registration required by sending a request to levickajasimona@gmail.com.
Natalja Cheifec on Shtetl Life
The shtetl was bit just a tiwn, but a self-contained world where Jewish traditions were maintained, students attended the yeshiva, people were married and buried under the precepts of Judaism and almost everyone spoke Yiddish.
To receive zoom credentials, click here.
Time: 6:00 P.M., Tuesday, December 4
Place: internet
New Album: Litvak Violin Art
Violinist Dalia Dėdinskaitė and pianist Walter Delahunt will perform selections from their new album at the album lauch at 6:30 P.M. on Wednesday, December 3 at the Samuel Bak Museum of the Vilna Gaon Jewish History Museum, Naugarduko street no. 10, Vilnius. The album is called Estrellita and features works by Litvak composers from Lithuania to Hollywood.
Exhibit of Works by Raimondas Savickas
Life with Pastels is an exhibit of works by renowned Lithuanian visual artist Raimondas Savickas which opens at 6:00 P.M. on December 6 and runs till December 27 at the Savickas Picture Gallery, Tumo-Vaižganto street no. 5, Vilnius. A new exhibit of paintings by Savic;as also opens on December 30 at the Lithuanian Artists Union gallery at Vokiečių street no. 2.
Happy Birthday, Liuba
Everyone’s favorite Community staff member Liuba Šerienė is xelebrating a milestone birthday this week.
Dear Liuba,
Your dedicated work over many years at the Lithuanian Jewish Community is deeply appreciated by all who know you. Your unfailing respect and cheerfulness strengthen and unite the entire Community. We are all very grateful to you.
May this year bring even more joy, peace and precious moments. We wish you health, a great homelife, love and that your seemingly endless source of inspiration never fail.
Mazl tov. Bis 120!
Fifty Voice across the Shtetl Multiverse
The Litvak Culture and Identity Museum of the Vilna Gaon Jewish History Museum will show a short film by Shoshana Simons called “Fifty Voice across the Shtetl Multiverse on Saturday at 12:30 P,M. This will be followed by a discussion with the audience and a violin performance by Morgan Rosario Maruthiah, followed by bagel snacks. Registration required by clicking here,
Time: 12:30 P.M., Saturday, November 29
Place: Litvak Culture and Identity Museum, Pylimo street no. 4A, Vilnius
News from the Šiauliai District Jewish Community
Jewish history is an important part of the identity of Jews from Shavl and Žagarė. Last Sunday members of the Šiauliai District Jewish Community took a tour called “Jewish Houses, Trades and History.” sampled bagels and were treated to a lecture by ethno-musicologist Eirimas Velička about Jewish music.
The Šiauliai District Jewish Community also opened an exhibit Sunday on the kinder aktion in the Shavl ghetto in 1943. The exhibit is on display at the Culture Center in Šiauliai. Community members finished the day attending the play “The Thinking Heart of the Barracks” which recalled the injunction to remember.
EJC President Says Social Media Radicalizing Youth
EJC President warns of dangerous influence of social media in youth radicalization at Paris Mayors’ Summit against Anti-Semitism
Paris, November 20, 2025–European Jewish Congress president Moshe Kantor launched a radical plan aimed at eradicating hate-filled anti-Semitism from social media forums targeting disaffected youth.
Addressing the Paris Mayors Summit against Anti-Semitism Thursday in the French capital, Kantor told the gathering that the new social media environment has become “a breeding ground for anti-Semitism fueled by conspiracy theories about global financial cabals and Jewish elites in control of the media.”
“Hatred has gone viral,” he added.
The event brought together dozens of city leaders from around the world, policy makers and community and civil society representatives, all united in their commitment to confront and prevent anti-Semitism in all its forms.
Youth Day at the Šiauliai Regional Jewish Community
October 18 students from the Juventos pre-gymnasium arrived early at the Šiauliai Regional Jewish Community for a special day of lessons on Jewish culture, history, tradition and customs. Teachers Aurelija Dirginčienė, Loreta Stankuvienė and Gaiva Šimonienė delivered the lessons. Šiauliai Regional Jewish Community chairwoman Rašella Galinienė and Oser Gleizer answered the cikdren’s questions. There are plans to include more of the school’s student body in future lesson days.
Dolskis and Gorbulskis Comcert Great Success
The concert “When Dolskis Met Gorbulskis” concert at the Kaunas State Pjilharmonic ib late October was a rousing success according to all involved.
THe concert celebrated the 150th birthday of Lithuanian estrada music founder Daniel Dolksis and the 100th birthday of Benjaminas Gorbulskis, a composer who contributed much to this genre of popular stage music.
Performers included tenor Rafailas Karpis, the Lithuanian Symphonic Horn Orchestra formerly known as Trimitas and a number of other talented musicians and actors.
The Kaunas Jewish Community would like to apologize to everyone who was unable to attend because of limited seating or had to stand during the free concert.
Some snapshots from the remarkable evening follow.
Condolences
Roza Bloch has passed away. She was born in 1930 in Kaunas, survived the Kaunas ghetto, the Kaunas concentration camp and the Stutthof concentration camp. Almost her entire family was murdered, excepting her maternal grandparents who also survived the Holocaust. She repatriated from the Soviet Union with her family to Israel in 1973. She was a long-standing member of the Association of Lithuanian Jews in Israel and served on its board of directors. We extend our deepest condolences on her loss to her friends and family, members of the Association and to all who knew and loved her.
Learn Hebrew
Psychologist, teacher and principal of the Sholem Aleichem Gymnasium Ruth Reches continues to offer Hebrew courses ti the general public at Sholem Aleichem on Sundays. Classes resume December 7, including an advanced group.
Schedule:
9:30 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. Level 3
11:15 A.M. – 12:45 P.M. Level 2
It all takes place on Sundays at the Sholem Aliechem ORT Gymnasium located at Kraševskio street no. 5 in Vilnius. Registration is required, contact ruthreches@gmail.com.
Natalja Cheifec Discussion Club Thursday
Natalja Cheifec continues her discussion club on the internet at 6:00 P.M. Thursday. To participate, get zoom credentials here.
Sabbath Celebration with Vegetarian Dishes Inspired by Lewando
The team of the fotmer Bagel Shop Café, now called Pylimo 4 (the street address) is pleased to announce a Sabbath celebration featuring vegetarian dishes inspired by Fania Lewando from Vilnius, the author of a vegetarian cookbook published in Yiddish in 1938.
It happens this Friday, November 14. The menu pays tribute to Lewando’s cuisine which reflects Litvak traditions. Participants are asked to donate €22 per diner, but smaller donations are also very acceptable. The point is to celebrate the Sabbath together. To suggest dishes, for more information amd to register, send an email to gut.shabbos.vilnius@gmail.com.
Continuing Education Students Visit Panevėžys Jewish Community
Continuing education university students visited the Panevėžys Jewish Community on November 9 where they were received by chairman Gennady Kofman. Jifman presented members of the group his book on the Holocaust and two of the visitors spoke about the Holocaust experience of their families. They spoke for an hour and a half.
The Panevėžys Jewish Community and the older students planmed three lecture series starting in December on Krystallnacht, hate and the roots of the Holocaust, and to commemorate victims of the Holocaust together on January 27.
Concert of Jewish and Other Composers
Lithuanian saxophone prodigy Petras Vyšniauskas and pianist Aleksandra Žvirblytė will perform a program of works by Jewish, Litvak and other composers called Dialogue on Thursday, November 13, at the Lithuanian Jewish Community in Vilnius.
Prior registration is required by filling out the internet form here.
Time: 6:00 P.M., November 13
Place: LJC, Vilnius