News

Danish Police Believe Israeli Embassy Blasts Caused by Hand Grenades

Photo: Police at Copenhagen Central Station on Wednesday, where they arrested suspects in relation to explosions near the Israeli embassy north of the city center. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT/Ritzau Scanpix

Two blasts early Wednesday near the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen were likely caused by hand grenades, Danish police said.

“Two explosions occurred at 3:20 A.M. at the Israeli embassy. It is our preliminary assessment that it was due to two hand grenades,” Jens Jespersen of the Copenhagen police told a press conference, adding that three young Swedes had been arrested.

Police in both Denmark and Sweden said Wednesday they were probing incidents involving explosions or gunfire around Israeli embassies in their capitals.

In Denmark police arrested the three Swedish nationals after two blasts were reported in the “immediate proximity” of the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen in the early hours.

2024-10-042024-10-04

Knife-Wielding Masked Teenagers Take Over Palace of Sports in Old Jewish Cemetery

Photo: Police at Palace of Sports by Paulius Skučas

A group of 50 masked, knife-wielding teenage boys has turned the crumbling Palace of Sports complex built on top of the old Jewish cemetery in Vilnius into their gang clubhouse and have threatened pedestrians in the area, including children, with their weapons, as well as attacking a lone security guard in charge of the site, according to Paulius Skučas, an LNK television reporter who posted on Instagram as well as did a Lithuanian state radio interview about the situation.

Skučas posted photos of the incident on Instagram with textual explanations:

This is how the Palace of Sports looked after the massive attack by teenagers this evening. Police and security stood guard for several hours. It seems the gang of teenagers are so uncontrollable and undetainable that all the residents of the surround neighborhoods and buildings have become hostages.

2024-10-042024-10-04

Happy New Year

Dear Community members, readers and friends,

May the new year 5785 bring you and your loved ones good fortune and health, happiness and a willingness to share your love with others. May all past and future errors and ill-chosen words be forgiven. May the New Year generously bestow upon all of us good news and good deeds, peace, prosperity and abundance.

Shana tova!

2024-10-042024-10-04

Iran Fires on Israel

Iran fired 181 mainly ballistic missiles at Israeli cities Tuesday evening. Iran claimed they fired over 400 missiles including a new hypersonic missile. Israel reported one death of an Arab in Jehrico and some damage to buildings in Tel Aviv, a missile hitting near the Ayalon Mall and damaging a school with no one inside. Iran claimed they had delivered a crippling blow to the Jewish state and had only targeted military and intelligence installations. The first volley appeared to target Mossad HQ in Tel Aviv but apparently were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow anti-missile systems. The Kingdom of Jordan and the United States reportedly helped intercept incoming Iranian missiles. A Pentagon spokesman said American warships off the coast fired 11 interceptor missiles at incoming Iranian missiles. The United States and the United Kingdom condemned Iran’s attack while the prime minister of Australia again called for deescalation. Two Islamic terrorists from the West Bank murdered 6 Israelis and wounded another 12 using a knife and a gun at a transit station in Jaffa just before Iranian missiles were fired.

2024-10-022024-10-02

Shofar Procession through Vilnius

Dear Community members,

In celebration of Rosh Hashanah a shofar procession will make its way from the inner courtyard of the Old Arsenal next to the Tower of Gediminas, in honor of grand duke Gediminas who invited Jewish merchants, artisans and craftsmen from European cities to come settle in Lithuania, and wind through Cathedral Square to end up at the Vilnius Old Town Hall on Wednesday, October 2.

Shofar horns and shofar blowers from the Baltic states, the Ukraine, Israel and Great Britain will take part in the procession and sound the ancient ram horn instrument, dispelling evil and announcing the new year 5785.

The Lithuanian Jewish Community will hold a reception at the Old Town Hall following the procession.

Schedule (approximate):

October 2

4:00 P.M. Ceremony to kick off the march, inner courtyard, Old Arsenal, Arsenalo street no. 3

4:30 P.M. Procession along Arsenalo and Vrublevskio streets

4:40 P.M. Procession through Cathedral Square and along Pilies and Didžiosios streets

5:05 P.M. LJC reception for participants at Old Town Hall with sampling of holiday dishes

5:45 P.M. End of event

2024-10-01

Superpower Israel Goes It Alone in Proxy Wars with Iran

Following an operation coup against Hezbollah, Israel targeted and killed almost all of the terrorist organization’s top leaders including the supreme leader on Friday, despite calls from the United States, France, Great Britain, Canada and Australia to Israel to work out a ceasefire with the Iranian-backed proxy army in Lebanon. Israel also says it has destroyed all but one battalion of Hamas, also an Iranian proxy, again despite international calls to Israel to make peace with the terrorists attacking the country. Israel also bombed Houthi positions in Yemen over the weekend, another proxy army funded and armed by Iran. News reports Sunday and Monday claimed the new president of Iran and/or the supreme leader the Ayatollah were taken to allegedly safe locations in case Israel decided to bring the war back to Tehran.

2024-09-30

Bnei Maskilim Progressive Judaism Community Invites You to Celebrate Rosh Hashanah

Dear reader,

As Rosh Hashanah draws near, the Jewish new year 5785, with its accompanying holiday, we invite you to join in with our community’s holiday prayers and events.

This year one of our guests will be former US Army chaplain Rabbi Hanoch M. Fields.

During the celebration we will pray, sing and sample sweet symbolic foods, for example, apples with honey, so that the New Year would be sweet and filled with delight.

May this New Year bring everyone health, peace and happiness!

Shana tova u’metukah!

The cost is 20 euros per person. For more information and to register, send an email to viljamas@lzb.lt.

Time: 6:30 P.M., October 3
Place: Third floor, Lithuanian Jewish Community, Vilnius

2024-09-30

Šiauliai Jewish Community Remembers the Murdered Jews of Žagarė

Šiauliai Jewish Community members are planning to leave the Šiauliai Jewish Community building at 10:00 A.M. on Sunday, October 6, to reach the town square in Žagarė where a ceremony to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust will be held. Everyone is invited to attend.

2024-09-30

Final Concert in the Shalom Culture and Music Festival

The final concert of the Shalom Culture and Music Festival will take place at 7:00 P.M. on October 3 at the Church of St. Catherine (St. Kotryna) in Vilnius. The special ROsh Hashanah program includes works by Ofer ben Amots, Philip Glass, Faustas Latėnas and others.

Tickets available here: https://bit.ly/4d3993B

2024-09-30