Wooden Synagogue in Alanta Renovated
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LJC, International Comminission and Olga Lengyel Institute Holding Holocaust Seminars for Teachers
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LJC Chairwoman Faina Kukliansky Speaks at Commemoration of Grosse
Aktion in Kaunas
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Šiauliai Opens Righteous Gentile Square at the Intersection of Vilniaus and Ežero Streets at Former Ghetto Gates
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"Symphony from Jerusalem of the North” Mark Day of Lithuanian Jewish Victims of Genocide in Presidential Courtyard
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The renovated synagogue in Žiežmariai will become a new cultural center. The first synagogue in appeared sometime between 1690 and 1696. In the 19th century there three synagogues. Not surprising, since the majority of the population were Jewish. This synagogue which has survived and has now been renovated stands in the southern part of town between Vilniaus and Žalgirio streets, with the Strėva river flowing from southeastward from there.
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The Lithuanian Post Office has issued a stamp commemorating 300 years since the birth of the Vilna Gaon
The Lithuanian Post Office has issued a stamp commemorating 300 years since the birth of the Vilna Gaon
with a face value of 0.81 euros, enough to mail letters abroad.
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Lithuania Marks 300th Anniversary of Birth of Vilna Gaon, 2020 Named Year of the Gaon and Litvak History.
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Most important events at the Lithuanian Jewish Community in 2018
Most important events at the Lithuanian Jewish Community in 2018
Revival of Jewish Scouting in Lithuania: The first new Litvak scouting camping trip with children from Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Panevėžys and Molėtai took place August 24 to 26.
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Jewish newspapers and advertisements from Vilnius in the period between the two world wars. Jews and other minorities were given equal rights in the reconstituted Lithuanian state. Yiddish thrived with many newspapers and books published in the language.
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Are Russian-Speaking Jews Less Worthy? No Way!

by Arkadijus Vinokuras

You have to have malice to call me a Russophobe. I am addressing several Russian-speaking Jews of Vilnius who are spreading this lie. I have the highest regard for all kinds of Russian art. By personal invitation of legendary clown Yuri Nikulin I performed in his circus in Moscow. Also at the invitation of legendary Taganka Theater director Yuri Lubimov, I performed in his presentation of Master and Margarita at Sweden’s Royal Dramatic Theater. Several of my best poems were written in Russian. Incidentally, I write poetry in Lithuanian, Russian, Swedish, English and Spanish.

So what horrible thing has happened to begin this malicious campaign against my person? Is it that I have foundation to say the Vilnius Jewish Community elections for chairman initiated by Simonas Gurevičius have nothing in common with democratic principles? If that’s it, no one has even attempted to rebut my arguments. So what else is left? To turn my well-founded criticism into the accusation that I am insulting the Russian-speaking Jews of Vilnius. That’s just cheap. But if anyone does feel falsely “suspected” of something, I sincerely apologize.

The accusation is without basis. When the fascists of any European state murdered our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, they didn’t care a bit which language they were speaking. After the 1917 Revolution around 100,000 Jews were murdered in pogroms. When Lithuanian Jews were deported to the gulag by order of Josef Stalin, it didn’t matter what language they spoke. Before and after World War II Russian Jews were subject to “cleansing” and tens of thousands of Russian Jews died in the gulags.

This is my statement which brought on the storm: “There is another problem, that of mentality, afflicting the Vilnius Jewish Community. For instance, the majority of those 260 VJC members who assembled speak Russian exclusively among themselves. They only watch Russian television channels. The don’t understand terms such as democratic elections and democratic election and democratic election campaign procedures.” I am clearly talking only about 260 people and I stress “the majority of them.” In other words, my statement has nothing to do with the 2,000 other Jews in Vilnius, many of whom are Russian speakers. On what considerations was my statement based? I wanted to explain what I believed were the reasons the democratic rules of the game were violated and ignored. After all, 260 people voted in elections which clearly violated the principles of fair elections and the community was divided. The easiest thing to do was to reject my arguments at a primitive and emotional level, shouting “Gospodin Vinokuras padsadnaya utka Faini.” And also by accusing me of belittling Russian-speaking Jews.

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Annual ORT Sholem Aleichem Gymnasium Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ceremony


Photos by Eli Rabinowitz

As the school year comes to an end and summer vacation begins, the ORT Sholem Aleichem Gymnasium held their annual combined bar and bat mitzvah ceremony Monday at the Choral Synagogue and the Lithuanian Jewish Community.

Parents and children arrived in their finest attire for the symbolic coming-of-age service which was conducted in Russian and Hebrew. Proud parents watched their boys and girls of different ages receiving Rabbi Samson Izakson’s blessing as they stood under the hoopa or canopy, praents took pictures and the audience rained candies down on the hoopa as the service concluded. Sholem Aleichem school principal Miša Jakobas delivered a moving address to his students in Russian. The service ended with children passing by the Torah scroll but no readings by boys or girls.

The party then moved to the third floor of the Lithuanian Jewish Community where the children or young adults had a candle-lighting ceremony to honor their parents, school, homeland, Israel and fallen Israeli soldiers. The festivities here were in Lithuanian and Hebrew. Israeli ambassador Amir Maimon spoke in a very genuine manner, translated to Lithuanian by Sholem Aleichem Hebrew teacher Ruth Reches, and recounted the parable of rabbi asked to repeat the whole of the law while standing on one foot. The young people performed songs, dance and did short skits in Lithuanian based on the writings of the author Sholem Aleichem and other Yiddish writers. After the young people were presented token gifts from the Lithuanian Jewish Community, the party moved into the foyer where there was abundant snacks, juice, coffee, wine and water. A series of artworks by students made especially for the occasion lined a long table as people helped themselves to hors d’oeuvres and waiters and waitresses circulated through the crowd with plates laden with food.

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Pre-Internet Viral: Songs of the Vilna Ghetto


by Geoff Vasil

The ORT Sholem Aleichem Gymnasium in Vilnius had a special guest Monday. Eli Rabinowitz from Perth, originally Cape Town, tries to make it to Lithuania every summer, and says he’s been here seven times now in the last six years. He comes from a long line of Litvaks in South Africa and has been quietly going to schools around the world to get them to teach their students the Partisan Song.

For those who don’t know what that means, there is a world-famous song which came out of the Vilnius ghetto, one treated as a sort of national anthem in Israel, where people stand at attention when it is sung. Most people in Vilnius and Lithuania today have never heard it, but over the decades before the internet came along, the song went viral in slow motion.

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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

Much Noise, Few Jews


photos by V. Ščiavinskas courtesy of lrytas.lt

Faina Kukliansky Says Election of Simonas Gurevičius as Vilnius Jewish Community Chairman Invalid

Is this an insurgency against the current leadership of the community, or also against dialogue with the Lithuanian state? This question needs to be asked because of the growing conflict among Lithuanian Jews.

Lithuanian Jewish Community (LJC) and Vilnius Jewish Community (VJC) chairwoman Faina Kukliansky said she still hasn’t decided whether to offer hew candidacy for a second four-year term. But long-time former Simonas Gurevičius, who left the community earlier, is already attacking the current leader on all fronts.

Incidentally, one of Gurevičius’s main supporters is US Jewish activist Dovid Katz, who constantly accuses the Lithuanian state of anti-Semitic policies.

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Arkadijus Vinokuras: A Community Divided

15min.lt

Yesterday, on May 24, 2017, in an uprising against Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky, the 15 men of the executive board conducted, according to the current chairwoman, illegitimate elections, thus dividing the community.

I, Arkadijus Vinokuras, a legitimate candidate, refused to take part in these elections for three reasons, which can be summed up in the cynical words of newly elected [sic] Vilnius Jewish Community chairman Simonas Gurevičius: “The unity of the community is important. But unity was never a synonym for idiocy. The community is united in pursuing its goals, in improving conditions, in mutual aid, in growth, in perfection, in other positive matters. Not in silence over dishonesty and apathy.” Did you get it? The unity of the community is considered a synonym for stupidity. Apparently striving for the unity of the community (but not confusing this in any way with a uniform opinion) is also idiotic. That the new “chairman” considers members of the VJC idiots and fools, and that the defense of morality has become a farce, was shown by him immediately during the election, when I withdrew from the elections and that very same minute a new candidacy was raised “in the name of democratic elections.”

Why I Refused to Participate

First. Because of the moral dilemma. There are 2,200 members in the Vilnius Jewish Community. These elections for the post of VJC chairman were attended exclusively by Gurevičius’s supporters, just 260 people. I, on the other hand, want to be a candidate for all members, regardless of whether they are proponents or opponents. That’s the correct and fair way. Thus my legitimate hopes and expectations as a legitimate candidate were not satisfied.

Second. Only Gurevičius’s supporters participated in these “elections.” He was elected by 246 people. I cannot countenance these elections turned farcical with no chance for an independent candidate.

Third. These elections didn’t contain even a trace of democracy. First of all, the conflict which arose between the executive board and the chairwoman was born in immorality. Whether there were good grounds for it or not, I won’t get into, I won’t go into the legal arguments. But it’s not just the legal aspect that matters in this small community, it’s the aspect of fairness and justice. So the chairwoman was accused of usurping power and manipulating the regulations of the VJC. All the problems of the VJC were placed at the feet of the chairwoman.

Flawed Regulations

But–at least the question arises in my mind–where were these members of the executive board of the VJC, these allegedly intelligent 15 men, these last four years? Why didn’t they over the course of those years do anything to change these flawed rules and regulations which allowed for manipulations using these regulations as seen fit and as desired by the chair and the executive board? Why did these 15 men, who placed the blame for the conflict on one woman, begin this conflict which has led directly to the schism in the community?

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Evening to Give Thanks to Rescuers of Jews in Kaunas

“It’s difficult to express in words our gratitude and respect. It is our duty to remember not just the victims of the Holocaust, but also those brave people who risked their lives and those of their families to rescue Jews, sometimes their neighbors, sometimes friends, but more often complete strangers,” Kaunas Jewish Community chairman Gercas Žakas at an annual evening event to give thanks to rescuers and their children , grandchildren and now even great-grandchildren. He thanked those in attendance for their close and war ties with the Jewish Community and for so enthusiastically attending Jewish Community events.

Singer Judita Leitaitė, pianist Rūta Mikelaitytė-Kašubienė and violinist Paulina Daukšytė performed at the event. Kristina Kazakevičiūtė, the daughter of a rescuer and an actress at the Kaunas Chamber Theater, read some profound poetry and then lightened the mood with some Jewish jokes. Participants in school tolerance education centers also attended and there were discussions of how to teach Jewish culture to school pupils in a more interesting way. The evening ended with the presentation of small gifts.

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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

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

Launch of Judaic Studies Center

The exhibition “People and Books of the Strashun [Mefitse Haskalah] Library” opened May 22 to mark the public launch of the Judaic Studies Center at the Lithuanian National Martynas Mažvydas Library. Dr. Lara Lempertienė, director of the new center, is the curator of the exhibition and the designer was Center researcher Miglė Anušauskaitė.

The exhibit documents the Mefitse Haskalah Jewish Public Library located on what was then Strashun Street from 1902 to 1940 (and which became the Vilna ghetto library under Herman Kruk until 1943), but also pays homage to Mattityahu Strashun (1817-1885), the bibliophile whose collection was housed at the Strashun Library proper, next to the Great Synagogue, but large portions of which passed through the Strashun street library during the Holocaust. The exhibit includes items from the collections of the Lithuanian national library as well as documents on load from YIVO, the Lithuanian Central State Archive, the History of the Lithuanian State Archive and the Lithuanian Art Museum.

National library general director Dr. Renaldas Gudauskas opened the exhibit at the ceremony Monday. YIVO director Jonathan Brent and Frida Shor, the author of an article about the Strashun Library, were also there.

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Meeting with LJC Chairwoman Faina Kukliansky at Panevėžys Jewish Community

Members of the Panevėžys Jewish Community turned out May 17 to meet Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky. She provided a brief synopsis of LJC activities and answered questions. Afterwards there was discussion of social welfare issues and an exchange of opinions about current events and trends within the LJC.

“Thank you, Faina, for your assessment of the Panevėžys Jewish Community, for sharing your insights and for answering questions of concern to us. We are not just the Panevėžys Jewish Community, but also part of the Lithuanian Jewish Community, so these sorts of meetings are important to us and pleasant,” Panevėžys Jewish Community chairman Gennady Kofman said.

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthdays to all our members and clients born in May:

Vilnius

Basia Markus
Fania Brancovskaja
Jurijus Greismanas
Nelja Voronova
Mere Leja Zagin
Arkadijus Kogan
Ženia Sokolovskaja
Mira Imbrasas
Liudmila Kovner
Arkadij Kac
Sofja Vysockaja

Klaipėda

Michail Kravec

Visaginas

Ilja Skulovič

Šilutė

Galina Lopatkina

Contest Winner’s Trip to Strasbourg

Viktorija Stundžytė, a tenth-grader from the Dukstyna School in Ukmergė (Vilkomir) and a participant in her school’s Tolerance Education Center, took part in the awards ceremony for the Center for the Study of the Genocide and Resistance of Residents of Lithuania’s nation-wide contest “On the Trail of Suffering for Freedom and Struggle” held in Vilnius May 5. The high-school student and her teachers visited the Museum of Genocide Victims, the Lithuanian parliament and the Palace of Teachers, where the awards were presented. Viktorija won a trip to Strasbourg.

She submitted an entry about the woman Stasė Ruzgytė-Staputienė who lost her mother in childhood, was adopted and experienced the Soviet and Nazi occupations. Viktorija set the story down in 100 pages after transcribing and typing it.

Viktorija called the project an invaluable experience which she will be able to use in her life and pass on to her children and grandchildren to remind them what goes on in this world. “As I was listening to the audio recording sometimes I wanted to go to the places about which she spoke, but sometimes I just wanted to be a heroine and get all those people out of there so they wouldn’t have to suffer anymore and experience everything the people in these recordings experienced,” she said about her work.

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