ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Markas Petuchauskas was born in 1931 in Šiauliai, Lithuania. His distinguished father, Samuelis Petuchauskas, was a holder of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas, and for two decades of the inter-war period was Vice-Burgomaster of Šiauliai. In 1940, the family moved to Vilnius. At the beginning of the Nazi occupation, the author’s father was executed by shooting in Paneriai.
Dear community members,
Greetings to you on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. I wish all of you health and happiness in your families! I sincerely wish you human warmth, that you would always be happy in your families and that you would come visit the community more often, and feel a deeper connection with the community.
This year now ending, 5775, was very complicated for our community and for me, but I think the unpleasant experience as we now have no rabbi will make our community stronger and will bear us good fruit in the future. As the major events over the last year, I would point to Lithuanian prime minister Algirdas Butkevičius’s visit to Israel where at the highest level, the president, prime minister and members of the Knesset of Israel said very clearly they have no complaints regarding our community, and on the contrary, the cooperation of the Lithuanian Government with Israel and with the Lithuanian Jewish Community was presented very positively.
Many times over at all levels the contributions made by the Lithuanian Jewish Community in Lithuania and in improving the country’s relations with Israel were underlined. In wishing you happy holiday spirits, I would like to say the Jews of the community are very active and work hard in all fields, from the preservation of the cultural and religious heritage, to organizing activities for children and youth, in the field of human rights and in everyday but nonetheless vital work with the elderly at the Social Center.
The regional communities are also working very intensively. I can say Litvak life has revived, and our events we have prepared for this fall show that only a well-organized team of people can achieve so much. We are publishing newsletters in Russian and Lithuanian. We have our own webpage which in three languages provide timely insight to matters of concern for the entire community as well as global Jewish issues, and everyone who wants to find out how the Lithuanian Jewish Community is doing has access to that information.
Let’s be happy that the community is harmonious, growing, stable, and that we have so many young people. The entire year I have worked with the community I have felt your great support, my friends, and your desire for me to continue, and now I hope the community will be able to select the best rabbi of those who have presented themselves as candidates for working with us, one who not only provides religious knowledge, but who will love his people and try to help them in trouble and in happiness.
Jewish Culture Days are taking place in Žagarė, Lithuania, which was selected the Lithuanian capital of culture this year. Jews with roots in Žagarė have arrived from all over the world and are visiting Jewish architectural heritage sites, attending concerts and watching films.
The first Jewish community was established in Žagarė in the early 18th century and mainly Jewish craftsmen and merchants lived in the town. Many Jews were shot during World War II at the Žagarė park. The last Jewish resident of Žagarė died several years ago.
Leonora Vasiliauskienė, a former Žagarė resident, said: “Žagarė is my childhood, my youth, and there were sad chapters, such as when I learned my grandmother, two aunts and uncle were murdered here. They were transported from Tryškiai and shot.”
The Lithuanian Jewish Community celebrated the 75th anniversary of Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara’s mass rescue of Jews through the issuance of “visas for life” recently. It’s been 75 years since the Japanese diplomat saw the atrocities of the Holocaust in Lithuania with his own eyes and decided to help the Jews by giving them visas providing them the opportunity to flee Lithuania and live. People whose lives were saved by Sugihara were on hand for the event, including Nina Admoni (Israel) and Marsel Weiland (Australia), as were diplomats from the foreign embassies in Vilnius, Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky, deputy chairwoman Maša Grodnikienė, Vilnius ORT Sholem Aleichem Gymnasium principal Miša Jakobas, members of the community and Lithuanian rescuers of Jews as well as their family members.
Žana Skudovičienė, one of the organizers of the evening, spoke emotionally and thanked those who risked not just their own lives but those of their loved ones as well to save Jews from extermination. She named some of the names of the rescuers: Irina Ostenko, Gražina Blažienė, Antanas Gasparas, Milda Putnienė, Ričardas Plokšto, Antanas Poniškaitis and Jurgis Beriatskas.
Dear Mrs. Faina Kukliansky,On behalf of the United Jewish Community Advocacy Relations and Enrichment (UJCare) and our special project “Admas Kodesh” which is dedicated for the preservation of Jewish Cemeteries around the world and who works very closely with the esteemed Grand Rabbi Elyakim Schlesinger and his Committee for the preservation of Jewish Cemeteries in Europe, we would like to extend our best wishes and blessings to the Honourable Prime Minister of Lithuania and his entourage upon his State visit to the Holy Land.We have recently met with Lithuania’s Consul General in New York Mr. Julius Pranevičius
Lithuania has been, and remains, Israel’s “voice” in the international arena, the Baltic state’s prime minister, Algirdas Butkevicius, told The Jerusalem Post Wednesday on the final day of a two-day visit.
Lithuania is nearing the end of its two-year stint on the UN Security Council, and Butkevicius said that during this period, the “security of Israel” was one of Vilnius’s main priorities.
Lithuania supported Israel on a number of key votes in the Security Council and the UN over the past year, including abstaining – rather than voting for the Palestinians, as did fellow EU states France and Luxembourg – when the Palestinian Authority failed to gain the support of nine states needed to pass a Security Council resolution dictating a full Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 lines.
As most of us have recently returned from our summer vacations, we wish to present you again with the summary publication and video of the 5th GFCA 2015. We kindly suggest to share these materials on your websites, Facebook pages, email lists etc.
· Concluding Documents:
As another year comes to a close, we look back at the many challenges and successes of our Jewish communities. Following the terrorist attacks against Jews, we faced tragedy and fear in Paris and Copenhagen. In January, we stood in remembrance and reflection at the gates of Auschwitz-Birkenau, together with Holocaust survivors. We found unity and triumph in our battles against the BDS movement that vilifies Israel, very often with the aim of spreading anti-Semitic prejudiceA. We also witnessed unspeakable brutalities in many regions of the Middle East, and we felt that it was important to speak out against the slaughter of Christians and others in Syria and Iraq.
This has been a year of setback and growth for the Jewish people, and we at the World Jewish Congress have been there every step of the journey.
Now we look forward to a new year which will no doubt bring new tests and trials. However, we also know that our people will reach the attainment and achievement of our continued goals and aspirations.
May 5776 be a year of hope and progress in which we come together as one Jewish people.
On a personal note, I wish you and your family health, happiness, prosperity, and joy – Shana Tovah u’metukah.
Regards,
Robert
Robert Singer
Chief Executive Officer
World Jewish Congress
Tel: +1 212 755 5770
Fax: +1 212 755 5883
Lithuanian NGO Programme operator Human Rights Monitoring Institute is organizing a conference on Anti-Semitism, Radicalisation and Violent Extremism. The event will take place on 30 September, 2015 in Vilnius.
The participants of the event will include experts of human rights, practitioners working in the field of inclusion, de-radicalisation, prevention of extremism, as well as representatives of international organisations and NGOs.
Please fill in REGISTRATION FORM, which is open until September 15th and we will inform you with updated programme.
VILNIUS, September 9, BNS – Israel has no objections to a project to renovate the Vilnius Concert and Sports Palace in central Vilnius located beside graves from the old Jewish cemetery, Lithuanian prime minister Algirdas Butkevičius says.
The issue was high on the agenda of Tuesday’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
“No, he gave no critical remarks whatsoever – the prime minister said he had recently received the information and was fully familiar with it. I said we wanted to get this done and would not make any decisions or start any tasks before prior agreement with the Jewish Community of Lithuania or the international organization for preservation of Jewish cemeteries that had come to Lithuania. He was clear – this is very good,” Butkevičius told BNS in a telephone interview from Jerusalem Tuesday evening.
VILNIUS, September 8, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius says Israel is a strategic regional partner. He made the remarks Tuesday in Israel and expressed hope for a future strengthening of the partnership.
Meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Butkevičius called the opening of an Israeli embassy in Vilnius earlier this year a historic landmark in bilateral relations.
“Israel is our strategic regional partner and one of the most important partners for Lithuania worldwide. I am convinced the partnership between our countries will grow in the future,” the Lithuanian PM said in a press release.
VILNIUS, September 9, BNS – The Jewish community in Vilnius achieved remarkable things, but also experienced the horrors of the Holocaust which can never be forgotten, Israeli pre minister Binyamin Netanyahu said in Jerualsem Tuesday while meeting his Lithuanian counterpart Algirdas Butkevičius.
The head of the Israeli government said his grandfather came from Lithuania.
“My own family hails from Lithuania. My grandfather was born in Lithuania. The Jewish community in Lithuania and especially around Vilnius had remarkable achievements, spectacular intellectual achievements, but of course we also experienced the horrors of the Holocaust,” Netanyahu said in a comment published on the Israeli government website.
Greetings on Rosh Hashanah!
During the holiday we invite you to attend our holiday events!
The events begin at 12:00 noon on September 13, 2015
12:00 Official greeting speech by Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky (in the White Hall)
12:30 “Art Workshop”: Rosh Hashanah activities for children from the Dubi and Dubi Mishpaha Clubs (Dubi Club room)
12:30 “Art Workshop”: Rosh Hashanah activities for Ilan and Knafaim Club members (Ilan Club room)
12:30 Holiday “Who, what, where?” game for adults. Game led by Irina Slutsker (Jascha Heifetz Hall)
12:30 Israeli dance with Karina Semionova (White Hall)
2:30 Lecture by Lara Lempert “Days of Trembling: Reading the Torah as a Means of Social Engineering” (Jascha Heifetz Hall)
2:30 Rosh Hashanah art workshop for grownups with artist Raimondas Savickas and presentation of creative projects for 2015-2016 (Student Union premises)
7:00 P.M. Rosh Hashanah holiday at the Choral Synagogue (Pylimo street no. 39, Vilnius). Presentation of calendar for the Jewish year 5776. Concert by violinist B. Kirzneris, violinist V. Mikeliūnas and A. Gotesman on percussion: “Sounds of the Vilnius Synagogue.”
The Lithuanian Jewish Community, the elite chess and checkers club Rositsan and Maccabi invite young and old to LEARN AND PRACTICE PLAYING CHESS.
Chess masters and experienced trainers will conduct the lessons. There will be tournaments and simultané, where one player takes on a group of opponents. Lessons to be held twice per week. Entry is free.
The first lesson and meeting will take place at 6:00 P.M. Wednesday, September 18, 2015 in the Jascha Heifetz Hall at Pylimo No. 4 in Vilnius.
Please register with FIDE master Boris Rositsan by telephone at 8 655 43556 or by email at INFO@METBOR.LT. Registration is open until September 16, 2015.
17 TH YEAR OF
THE VILNA YIDDISH READING CIRCLE
STARTS NEXT SUNDAY, SEPT. 13, 2015 AT 1 PM SHARP
at the Jewish Cultural and Information Center in the Old Town
Mėsinių 3A/5, Vilnius
EVERYBODY WELCOME!
The Jewish Cultural and Information Center, a partnership project of the Jewish Community of Lithuania and the Vilnius Municipality, is proud to host the 17th annual Vilna Yiddish Reading Circle this season. The inaugural session will be held this coming Sunday, 13 September 2015, at 1 PM (1300) sharp, and further sessions will follow thereafter each Sunday at the same time. The instructor, Professor Dovid Katz (www.dovidkatz.net), has been volunteering to lead the circle since its inception in September 1999 for those in the Jewish community (and equally, those from all other communities in Vilnius!) who wish to develop their knowledge of Yiddish language, literature and culture.
Recently there have been a number of initiatives aimed at preserving and publicizing Jewish heritage in Lithuania. The YIVO Vilna Project begun last year has the goal of preserving and digitizing pre-war archives in Vilnius and New York, a project on the creation of a Jewish Cultural Heritage Way in Lithuania is underway, the tolerance campaign Bagel Shop is being implemented, an ambitious project called “The Lost Shtetl” is being implemented in Šeduva, the public organization Maceva has concluded an agreement with the municipality of Kaunas on renovating the Old Jewish Cemetery there, the Vilnius municipality has begun restoration of the synagogue on Gėlių street and many other initiatives have been put forward.
Full text in Lithuanian: www.eeagrants.lt
