| | | | INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HOLOKAUST | 2010.01.22 | | The Tolerance Centre of Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum invites you to commemorate the International Day of Holocaust. | |
| | JOINT STATEMENT by the Lithuanian and Vilnius Communities | 2009.11.24 | | On May 22 of this year, the BNS news service announced that the government of the Republic of Lithuania was presenting to the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania a proposal by the Republic of Lithuania for legislation regarding compensation for real estate properties belonging to the Jewish communities. The Jewish Community of Lithuania, which unites thousands of members from 24 organisations, declares that it does not agree with the proposal for said legislation, and asks that the proposal as it stands not be presented to the Lithuanian Parliament. | |
| | NO SERIOUS DISCUSSION | 2009.11.24 | | A documentary film called “Litvakes. From Vilnius to Jerusalem” (producer “Media team”, author Rūta Sinkevičienė, cameramen Aurimas Račiukaitis and Alvydas Laurinavičius), sponsored by the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and widely publicised, premiered at the “Skalvija” film theatre to a larger than capacity audience. It was introduced by deputy minister of Foreign Affairs Šarūnas Adomavičius. Known philosopher Leonidas Donskis spoke about the film personalities, about their professional work and achievements. R.Sinkevičienė talked about her meetings with Litvakes in Israel. | |
| | ABOUT KARL PLAGGE AND HIS HEROIC DEED | 2009.11.17 | | An exhibition entitled “Karl Plagge – Righteous Among the Nations", dedicated to Wehrmacht major Karl Plagge, who saved the lives of 250 Jews during the Second World War, opened on April 7 at the Tolerance Centre in Vilnius. He was granted the honourable title of Righteous Among the Nations by the Yad Vashem Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority in 2005. | |
| | FOR WHOM THE SILENCE TOLLS | 2009.11.10 | | An album of colour photographs was presented to readers on May 12 at the Vilnius Old Town Hall. “Sounds of Silence. Traces of Jewish Life in Lithuania" was compiled by the known Lithuanian artist, Isaac Zibuts, who now lives in the USA. He is not only the author of the project, but also its designer. The album contains 150 colour photographs (264x300 mm) - images of remnants of Jewish cemeteries, boarded-up synagogues and other buildings, and views of Jewish life - all that remains, after half a century, of the golden age of the Jews of Lithuania. The photographs were taken by Raimondas Paknys, director of R.Paknys Publishing House, and editor and publisher of the book. The foreword was written by world famous Yiddish language, culture, and history expert prof. Dovyd Katz, and translated into Lithuanian by the celebrated poet, scholar, and essayist Tomas Venclova. | |
| | IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE JERUSALEM BOOK FAIR | 2009.11.07 | | Lithuania participated at the 24th Jerusalem Book Fair that took place February 15-20. This year, approximately 1,200 publishers from over 40 countries presented their books at the Jerusalem International Convention Centre.
Lithuania was welcomed as a guest of honour. The country's representative book stand, which was located in the middle of the Centre, was decorated by one of Lithuania's best artists, Saulius Valius. Thirty of Lithuania's publishing companies exhibited approximately 300 books – fiction, children's and young people's literature, Judaic works, historical, scientific, and linguistic studies, etc.
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| | JAKOV MAGID (1947-2009) HAS DIED | 2009.11.07 | | We received sad news from Germany of the tragic end of the life of the wonderful variety musician, saxophonist, clarinettist, and singer, 63 year-old Jakov Magid. A native of Vilnius, right from infancy he heard Jewish spoken and sung in his home, and he connected his life to Jewish music. In 1971, he established the vocal and instrumental Jewish song ensemble “Fajerlech” at the Union Culture Hall. The ensemble was a fine complement to the traditions of klezmer music, and was acknowledged the winner of the 1975 “Vilniaus bokštai” competition of Lithuanian variety ensembles. It shouldered its way through censorship obstacles, and brought listeners joy and hope, and a feeling of contact with the Jewish nation, otherwise forbidden by the USSR. | |
| | ONE OF MANY, AND YET UNIQUE | | | We commemorated the victims of the Nazi persecution on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27. | |
| | LIMMUD 2009 | 2009.03.05 | “Limmud” seminar of Jewish communities in the Baltic countries, took place on February 28- March 1 of this year. |
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