The routine session of the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) took place last September 7-9 in Vilnius. (The largest world Jewish organisation, the JDC provides material and methodological support to Jewish communities around the world, and for the sake of brevity is usually referred to as “Joint”.) The theme of the session was entitled “JDC strategic planning”.

The Joint session analysed comprehensively the workings of an East European Jewish community -  thea Lithuanian Jewish Community (LJC) was taken as an example, and its work was studied as an integral part of all Jewish communities in the Baltic region and the European Union.
 
Participants at the session included a group of the highest JDC officials: president Ellen Heller, director general Steve Shwagger, head of the European and Latin American JDC Alberto Senderey, JDC representative to the Baltic countries and Poland Andres Spokoiny, and others. Also at the session was Israeli ambassador to Lithuania and Latvia, Chen Ivri.

Much of the focus was directed towards strategic questions regarding the role of Jewish communities in the Baltic countries following their entry into the European Union: social and political changes in these countries and their effect on the Jewish communities, the status of Jewish communities in the public life of their own country, the attitude of the governments of the Baltic countries regarding Jewish communities, etc.

There were extensive discussions on the issue of JDC regional strategies in Europe and the Baltic region, the work of individual communities (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia), and that of each age-related group: children's and young people's organisations, summer youth camps, work with middle-aged people, and problems regarding participation by elderly people in the public life of the Jewish communities.

The work of the individual groups was presented by their co-ordinators: Žana Skudovičienė for the  “Abi men zet zich” elderly people's club and Junona Bereznitsky for programmes for middle-aged people (LJC); Lina Ferber and Diana Resnik for youth programmes (Riga); David Shlick for youth and family programmes (Tallinn). 

Marina Astonskaya, director of Joint Social Programmes in the Baltic countries, LJC acting director Simon Gurevich, LJC head of social programmes Simonas Levinas, and co-ordinator of the “Impoverished children” programme, Inna Eisensharf, spoke about their experiences in dealing with social problems.

Presentations about the expansion, priorities, future prospects and relations with JDC were given by chairperson of the Estonian Jewish Community Alla Jakobson, LJC chairman Simonas Alperavičius, and LJC acting director Simon Gurevich.

There was a great deal of discussion about the children's and young people's camps as a means of expanding the community. Analysis revolved around the effect of the camps on various aspects of community life (education, leadership, expansion), on programmes for camp organisation, and on the effect of those programmes on fostering local leaders. Presentations were given by the directors of the camp shifts and by the directors of local youth sectors: Julia Landsberg, Natasha Trusova, Julikas Resnikas, Simon Gurevich. 

The discussion was moderated by deputy director of the Latvian JDC and consultant to JDC Jewish summer camps in the Baltic countries, Moni Beiosev.

A.Spokoiny, assistant to the LJC chairman on issues of restitution Faina Kukliansky, and USA embassy in Vilnius staff member Rebecca Durham shared the latest information about the prospects for restitution in Lithuania and its effect on internal and external relations for the community. Jerry Spitzer spoke about the same issues on a European scale.

Joint leaders met with the JAFI representative to the Baltic countries, director of the Vilnius Sholom Aleichem Jewish Secondary School and ORT representative Miša Jakobas, and academic head of the Vilnius University Yiddish Institute Dovid Katz.

Session participants walked through the streets of the Old Town, visited Trakai, and honoured the memory of the victims of the genocide of Lithuania's Jews at Paneriai.
 
Coincidentally, the Jewish Community Centre resumed its work after summer holidays, on the first weekend in September. To mark this occasion, on September 8-9 there were festive events at the pre-school children's “Dubi” club, the “Ilan” and “Knafaim” student clubs, Association of Lithuanian Jewish Students and Young People, middle-aged people's “Gesher” club, seniors' “Abi men zet zich” club, former prisoners of ghetto and concentration camp “Mir zainen do” club. Participants at the Joint session were able to attend club meetings, get involved in making Jewish foods, learn Jewish songs and dances, listen to interesting lectures on psychology, drop in on a jewellery-making lesson, etc.

A celebration dedicated to the new work year was organised in the Community centre courtyard, with an impressive performance by the “Fajerlech” ensemble.

Joint leaders wrote the following in the Lithuanian Jewish Community visitors' book:

A vital, exciting, inspirational community who has kept the flame of Jewish life active . It is a priviledge for JDC to be your partner. (Ellen Heller)
 
Always amazed of the „Litvak“ spirit and the growth of this warm community that keeps going up and up. (Alberto Senderey)

A great pleasure to be with a live vibrant community. You are a model for the rest of the Jewish world. (Steve  Shwagger)

Source: Newspaper of the Jewish Community of Lithuania “Jerusalem  of Lithuania” 2007, № 7-8