Lithuanian Jewish Community

Lithuanian Historian: Guards of Massacre Sites Should Also Be Listed as Murderers

VILNIUS, June 6, BNS–Not only those who pulled the trigger should be considered perpetrators of the Jewish genocide in Lithuania–they should include the individuals who transported Jews and guarded the sites of massacres, a local historian says.

Alfredas Ruksenas, a specialist of the Genocide and Resistance Research Center of Lithuania, said that the number of genocide perpetrators could be calculated very roughly.

“Shooters of Jews should include all participants of the operations, even if they did not pull the trigger but facilitated the operations,” Ruksenas said at a discussion at the parliament on Monday.

In his words, the battalions that were conducting the genocide are known, however, establishing a specific person or contribution is a difficult task.

2016-06-06

EBRD President Chakrabarti Visits Central Asia

The Eurasian Council on Foreign Affairs reports Suma Chakrabarti, president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), concluded a tour of Central Asia last week which included visits to Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

The EBRD has several offices throughout Central Asia, and to date has invested over €6 billion in Kazakhstan alone. During his visit to Astana, Chakrabarti met with Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev to discuss EBRD-Kazakh cooperation in sectors such as infrastructure and transport, as well as with Prime Minister Karim Massimov and other key ministers.

The EBRD president praised Kazakhstan’s political development and multi-party system, and stated that, having invested more than €1.2 billion in 2015–a record for the Central Asian region–the bank plans to maintain its ambitious operational targets, and invest over €700 million in Kazakhstan during 2016. He participated in the 9th edition of the Astana Economic Forum on May 26th, and co-chaired the Foreign Investors Council devoted to the Astana International Financial Centre on May 27th, alongside president Nazarbayev.

Previously Chakrabarti met with Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on May 23rd, receiving an invitation to participate in a UN conference on transport and transit corridors taking place in the country in November; and with Azeri president Ilham Aliyev during a visit to Azerbaijan on May 24-25th.

2016-06-04

Deputy Lithuanian Foreign Minister Meets Israeli Journalists

The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry reports deputy foreign minister Mantvydas Bekešius met May 27 with a group of journalists from Israel. The group was visiting Lithuania from May 25 to 29.

The deputy minister said Israel is an important partner to Lithuania in the Middle East and the countries share common values. He said friendship between people continues to grow, that this encourages better knowledge of one another, and that that contributes to growth in business contacts and tourism.

The journalists were interested in successfully expanding relations between Lithuania and Israel, business opportunities, Jewish community current events and the agenda of Lithuanian foreign policy, according to a statement released by the ministry. They also asked about challenges arising in the EU over the migration crisis, the UK’s upcoming referendum on quitting the EU and the Ukraine problem, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said.

On January 8, 2017, Lithuania and Israel will mark 25 years of diplomatic relations.

Full story in Lithuanian here.

2016-06-03

First Auction of Children’s Art in Vilnius!

The Vilnius Art School for Children and Youth, the first independent private art educational institution in Lithuania, was created by Jūratė Stauskaitė in 1991.

Over its 25 years of history, the school has turned become a versatile and innovative artistic education resource where everyone gets a chance to express their individuality through freedom of expression and creativity, which are important in all professions.

Since 1991 several thousand pupils have attended and completed school programs. School staff have published various teaching aids and textbooks for other schools. The school has taken part in numerous artistic educational initiatives and charity events held by the Vilnius municipality and state authorities, and remains true to its main objective: to raise creative members of society.

2016-06-03

Lithuanian Citizenship: Only Successful Applicant Is a Dead Jew

by Daniel Lutrin

It was gratifying to see a recent article regarding the plight that Jews of Lithuanian origin (Litvaks) are facing when applying to have their Lithuanian citizenship restored. The article, however, does not hone in on the critical matter at hand, namely the extent to which Lithuanian bureaucrats have gone to deny Jews of their ancestral right to citizenship.

In the background, a meticulous selection process has been underway which is nothing more than a modern manifestation of the same anti-Semitism which saw 95 per cent of Litvaks murdered in the Holocaust (the highest in all of Europe).

Denying Litvaks citizenship has been made easy in Lithuania by declaring, based on nebulous case law, that those Lithuanians who left the country during its years of independence (approximately 1919 to 1940) were not persecuted and are therefore not eligible for dual citizenship.

2016-06-03

You’re Invited to a Chess Tournament

The Lithuanian Jewish Community and the elite chess and checkers club Rositsan and Maccabi invite you to a chess tournament at the Lithuanian Jewish Community at Pylimo street no. 4 in Vilnius at 11:00 A.M. on Sunday, June 19.

The event is dedicated to the memory of interwar Lithuania’s third president and Righteous Gentile Kazys Grinius.

Tournament director: FIDE master Boris Rositsan
For more information and to register, contact: info@metbor.lt, telephone +3706 5543556

2016-06-02

Kosher Sabbath and a Lesson about Shavuot

The Gesher Club of the Lithuanian Jewish Community invites you to come celebrate the Sabbath with Rabbi Kalev Krelin, who will deliver a talk called “Shavuot: A Holiday without an Exact Date or Meaning” at the kosher restaurant Rishon, Tilto street no. 3, Vilnius, on Friday, June 10. To buy tickets or for more information, contact Žana Skudovičienė by telephone at 867881514.

2016-06-02

Kupiškis Jewish Community: Connections between Past and Present

The Povilas Matulionis Pre-Gymnasium and the Kupiškis Ethnographic Museum held a conference at the school May 30 called “The Kupiškis Jewish Community: Connections between Past and Present.” Participants included Panevėžys Jewish Community chairman Gennady Kofman, Lithuanian MPs Aleksandras Zeltinis, who spoke first, and Sergejus Jovaiša, Israeli ambassador to Lithuania Amir Maimon, Kupiškis regional administration head Dainius Bardauskas, regional administration assistant director Aurimas Martinka, Kupiškis culture, education and sports department director Violeta Aleknienė and Povilas Matulionis Pre-Gymnasium principal Rimvydas Latvys.

MP Zeltinis said the former synagogue, now the Kupiškis public library, would be restored at his initiative. Ambassador Maimon delivered the first paper and called current relations Israel and Lithuania wonderful and warm. Historian Arūnas Bubnys gave a presentation on the mass murder of the Jews of Kupiškis during the Holocaust. Panevėžys Jewish Community chairman Gennady Kofman spoke about the Holocaust and righteous gentiles who rescued Jews.

2016-06-02

Israelis Visit Panevėžys Jewish Community

A large group of students and teachers from Jerusalem visited the Panevėžys Jewish Community May 26. Panevėžys Jewish Community chairman Gennady Kofman told the guests about the community’s activities in the Lithuanian city, including social welfare programs, and educational programs conducted with local schools. He also told them about the history of the city and of the Jews there. The guests appeared keenly interested and wanted to know what Jews there thought about Israel. A nun from the sisters of the Love of God was also at the meeting and showed guests pictures of Righteous Gentiles students had made at Marija Rusteikaitė Gymnasium.

2016-06-022017-10-26

Paid Internships

The Lithuanian Jewish Students Union reports of two new paid internship available at the European Union of Jewish Students and at the Transatlantic Institute of the American Jewish Committee.

1. The EUJS is looking for a new communications officer. The communication officer manages EUJS’s internal and external communication strategies and creates online content for social media with the aim of broadening media coverage and outreach.

2. The American Jewish Committee’s Transatlantic Institute in Brussels http://www.transatlanticinstitute.org offers an exciting opportunity to experience what advocacy with the European Union is like. You can work as a fully contributing member of their experienced international multidisciplinary team, discover firsthand how the EU’s common foreign policy is made and get to know some of the main players.

2016-06-02

IHRA Adopts Definition of Anti-Semitism

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance adopted a definition of what anti-Semitism means at their conference in Bucharest from May 23 to May 26.

Mihnea Constantinescu, IHRA’s chairman, said: “All IHRA member countries share concern that incidents of anti-Semitism are steadily rising and agree that IHRA’s member countries and indeed IHRA’s experts need political tools with which to fight this scourge. IHRA’s 31 member countries–24 of which are EU member countries–are committed to the Stockholm declaration and thereby to fighting the evil of anti-Semitism through coordinated international political action. … By adopting this working definition, the IHRA is setting an example of responsible conduct for other international fora and hopes to inspire them also to take action on a legally binding working definition.”

Mark Weitzman, chairman of IHRA’s committee on anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial which proposed the adoption of the definition in 2015, said: “In order to begin to address the problem of anti-Semitism, there must be clarity about what anti-Semitism actually is. This is not a simple question.”

2016-06-02

European Jewish Congress Announces Death of Former Head of Turkish Jewish Community

Dear Friends,

The European Jewish Congress mourns the sad loss of our dear friend Sami Herman, the former President of the Jewish Community of Turkey.

He passed away following a long illness, at the young age of 66. Sami Herman will be remembered as a distinguished leader of the Jewish community of Turkey who dedicated much of his life to the well-being of its community.

Moshe Kantor and all the EJC team join in sending our deep condolences to Herman’s family and to all his close ones at this sad time.

May they be comforted among all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Kind regards,
The EJC Team

2016-06-02

Concert of Lithuanian Ethnic Minority Music and Lesson with Dr. Marija Kuprove-Berg

Marija Kuprove-Berg will perform at the Tolerance Center, Naugarduko street no. 10/2, at 6:00 P.M. on Thursday, June 2, 2016. Violinist Vytautas Mikeliūnas will also perform. A lecture will be held in English as well. The event is being held by the Lithuanian Literature and Folklore Institute and the Tolerance Center of the Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum. Entrance is free to the public.

Dr. Marija Kuprove-Berg’s repertoire includes songs in all the minority languages of Lithuania, including Yiddish, Ashkenazic Hebrew, Romany, Tartar and others, and embraces Karaïte musical traditions as well.

2016-05-31

On Citizenship for Descendants of Litvaks

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by Sergejus Kanovičius

First, the Litvaks died. Almost all of them.

Then began the first division of property stolen from them (with the “honorable” role played by general Vėtra in this).

After World War II, the Soviets legalized this theft, and no one was supposed to mention it, or even hint of it.

After March 11, 1990, that theft was legalized once again, by limiting dual citizenship and introducing into law the statement that “rights to surviving real estate are restored only to citizens of the Republic of Lithuania.” When I made an application for restoration of citizenship, I was told in a friendly way to include in the application the demeaning statement: “I don’t have any inherited property in the Republic of Lithuania.” And how could I inherit those pits on the margins of forests and villages? How could I inherit those two hundred graves where parents and grandparents lie buried? I don’t have any “property” except for this. Although others might. The fathers of independence have done everything to “protect” us from the completely legitimate property claims of Lithuanian Jews and Vilnius Poles–such an innocent desire that this time everything really would belong exclusively to, sorry, our people.

2016-05-302016-08-23

President of Israel Greets Holocaust Survivor, Partisan Fania Brancovskaja on Birthday

Israeli ambassador to Lithuania Amir Maimon delivered a birthday greeting to Holocaust survivor, Vilnius ghetto prisoner and Jewish partisan Fania Brancovskaja at a small ceremony Friday, May 23, calling her an enduring miracle of hope and passion for everyone. He said her life was spoken of proudly and she serves as an inspiration and reminder to the younger generation.

Full story in Lithuanian

2016-05-30

Exhibit of Works by Litvak Sculptor Victor Brenner in Šiauliai

Victor David Brenner was born Viktoras Baranauskas April 12, 1871 in Šiauliai, Lithuania. His father was a jeweler and stamp maker. As an adolescent he helped his father complete easy orders. With his father’s help he set up an engraving shop in Šiauliai in 1887 and began to work on his own. In 1889 Victor and his parents moved to Kaunas where he achieved renown as a talented master engraver. He emigrated to the United States in 1890 and lived in New York. He took night classes at the Cooper Union college and worked at a New York metal ornament and medallion workshop.

Eight years later Brenner was in Paris, studying with the great French medalist, Oscar Roty at the Académie Julian. There he exhibited his work and obtained awards at the Paris Exposition of 1900. He returned to the United States, and from that time on his career prospered. He appeared to be on his way to the fulfillment of the splendid predictions made for his future by Rodin.

2016-05-30

Israeli Ambassador Enchanted by Legendary Lithuanian Pastry

Not just family and military service, but also cooking and olive oil–these values have clearly insinuated themselves in the life of Israeli ambassador to Lithuania, Amir Maimon, 57. Despite the hectic daily schedule of colonel Maimon, who began his diplomatic service in Lithuania about one year ago, he still finds time for his favorite pastime, cooking. The Lifestyle section of the newspaper Lietuvos rytas reports ambassador Maimon’s family lives in Israel, but isn’t complaining about a lack of food. Instead, he spends his free time cooking all sorts of dishes.

Full story in Lithuanian here.

2016-05-30

Darius Udrys: What Does Lithuania Owe Its Jews?

Photo: by K. Čachovskis, courtesy Delfi.lt

Lithuanian Jews have contributed to the creation and success of the Lithuanian state from its very foundation.

This is an indisputable fact. As we sometimes like to say with pride (without thinking too much about what responsibilities history places upon us), the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was for its time a conspicuously liberal state which sheltered and safeguarded many tribal and ethnic groups as its own citizens.

One doesn’t have to look far back in the past to find the contribution made by Lithuanian Jews. Called upon and supported by their community leaders to do so, young Litvaks stood shoulder to shoulder with our grandfathers and great-grandfathers in the battle for Lithuanian independence from 1918 to 1920. As Donatas Januta reminds us in the Lithuanian-American newspaper Draugas, the volunteer battalion established and provisioned by Jews was one of the first armed units of the Lithuanian military. Many of its members were decorated for their bravery and sacrifice with medals, including the Order of the Cross of Vytis.

Lithuania’s Jews didn’t just support Lithuanian independence and consolidation through financing, weapons and their lives, they also supported it politically. Simanas Rozenbaumas, a Jew, successfully represented Lithuania in the Paris peace conference at Versailles and in negotiations with the Soviet Union, and Jews took part in the first Constituent Parliament as well. Jews also strongly supported the return of the Vilnius territory to Lithuania.

2016-05-30

In Memoriam

Sad news has reached the Panevėžys Jewish Community and the public that famous former Panevėžys doctor Mira Rozova has died in Israel after suffering from chronic illness. For half her life she was the senior doctor at the Panevėžys Infectious Hospital. In 1954 she was graduated from the Krasnodar Institute of Medicine. She performed a three-year residence in Kaliningrad and then moved to Panevėžys in 1957. She worked as a therapist at what was the Republic Hospital and Clinic. The infectious disease division was small at that time. The decision was made to open a separate infectious disease hospital and young and energetic Rozova was appointed the director of the new hospital. The Infectious Disease Hospital was established in the Panevėžys Jewish Hospital on Ramygalos street, which needed repair following the war. The hospital operated for 20 years in the unrenovated premises.

2016-05-30

Israeli President Isaac Herzog Visits Lithuania

On the War in Israel and the Situation in Lithuania