Society
Lithuania’s Jewish community locked in accusations, litigation
Leadership elections held in a few offices of the Jewish Community of Lithuania past spring resulted in mutual accusations and court trials. […]
Jewish Community of Lithuania
Society
US scientists working in Lithuania to specify locations of Jewish graves
A group of scientists headed by archeology professor Richard Freund from the US Hartford University is launching research in Kaunas, Lithuania, to specify the locations of Jewish mass graves. […]
History
Bankruptcy of the Jewish community in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Ideas about tremendous wealth of the Jews, their well-being, which was thought to have been created by incurring losses on the Christians, was prevalent in the society of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ( GDL and later periods). The reality, however, was quite different. Only a small part of the Jews was successful business people, the majority of them that engaged in small businesses, trade and crafts could hardly make both ends meet. […]
History
Jewish community suggests culture museum in territory of former Vilnius ghetto
The Jewish Community of Lithuania suggests establishing a cultural museum in the territory of the former Vilnius ghetto, going beyond a single building to open spaces and employing smart technologies. […]
History
The Jewish Quarter in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania – isolation or privilege?
Quarters comprising of several streets that were designed along religious, ethnic or professional lines were a regular way of life in European cities during the Middle Ages. Thus the settling of Jews, who employed the use of a section of the city that was delegated to them by law did not go counter to the pattern that had developed for settling in cities. Orthodox believers, Germans, Jews, butchers, glass makers and others who established themselves in Great Duchy of Lithuania (GDL) cities divided up living space in a similar manner. Thus Jews brought traditions to the GDL that were typical for them in the quarters they lived, traditions that coincided with other trends that managed to express themselves in GDL cities. […]
Society
Lithuanian Jews in row over Vilnius community leader election
Lithuanian Jews are in a row over Wednesday’s election of the leader of the Vilnius Jewish Community (VJC). […]
Society
Unity is crucial for Jewish community – Israeli ambassador
Unity is the most important thing to any community, Israel’s Ambassador to Lithuania Amir Maimon said ahead of the election of the chairman of the Jewish Community of Lithuania. […]
Society
Petition initiated against new rules for Lithuanian Jewish community leader election
Simonas Gurevičius, a member of the board at Vilnius’ Jewish Community, has initiated a petition against the new rules for election of the chairperson of the Jewish Community of Lithuania (JCL), demanding to bring the earlier rules back. […]
Society
Good Will Foundation administering Jewish compensations may buy 4 buildings in Lithuania
The Good Will Foundation administering the state compensation for property of Jewish religious communities is considering purchase of four buildings in Lithuania, estimated at a total of over 2 million euros. […]
Society
March of Living: it’s important to remember both collaborators and Jew savers
Participants of the March of the Living, a traditional event held in Vilnius to honor the victims of the Holocaust, underline the importance of remembering both the crimes of the executioners and the feats of the rescuers. […]
Politics
Paneriai Memorial holds 10th March of the Living
The traditional March of the Living will take place at the Paneriai Memorial in Vilnius on Wednesday to honor the memory of victims of the Holocaust. […]
Culture
Holocaust researchers meeting in Vilnius
A conference on As Mass Murder Began: Identifying and Remembering the Killing Sites of Summer-Fall 1941 is starting at the Vilnius Gaon Jewish State Museum on Wednesday. […]
Society
Separate programme proposed for Jewish heritage maintenance
Diana Varnaitė, director of the Lithuanian Cultural Heritage Department, has proposed envisaging separate funding of maintenance of the Jewish heritage, an idea supported by Parliamentary Speaker Viktoras Pranckietis. […]
Society
Jewish property compensation funds used properly in 2016 – auditors
The Lithuanian National Audit Office (NAO), which in previous years identified certain irregularities in the use of compensation funds for Jewish religious communities’ immovable property, says that the latest audit of the Good Will Foundation, which administers the money, has revealed no problems. […]
Global LT
Lithuania: my journey of return
As a Cape Town born Jew, my life has come full circle. Although I was born after his death, my zeida, Rabbi Shimon Ze’ev Aysenberg, played an indelible influence in my life. My father, Isaac Eisenberg, born in a stable in Mogilov, Belarus, in 1922, a medical doctor and writer, spent his life interpreting his childhood memories. […]
Economy
Signs of corruption found in Vilnius Concert, Sports Palace revamp tender
Acting on a tip-off about possible lack of transparency in the tender for contractor for reconstruction of the Vilnius Concert and Sports Palace, Lithuania’s Property Bank has terminated talks with the winner – the consortium of Irdaiva construction company. Documents available to BNS show that a member of the tender panel was employed both at the Property Bank and the company, which could have influenced the results of the tender. […]
Society
Great Synagogue must be restored but not until 2027 – Vilnius mayor
The Great Synagogue of Vilnius that was razed to the ground during the Soviet rule should be rebuilt at least in part, however, the idea cannot be implemented in the nearest decade, says Remigijus Šimašius, mayor of the Lithuanian capital. […]
CORPORATE
Jewish community‘s efforts – still fruitless
The year begins with continuing old issues and unresolved questions. One of them is the idea of a monument for Lithuanian citizens who helped rescue Jews in Vilnius. Such a monument was suggested by one […]
CORPORATE
Man of the year of LRT Radio on Jews, Russia and theatre
Playwright Marius Ivaškevičius spoke with LRT Radio about his participation in a march in memory of the Holocaust in Lithuania, his work beyond just playwriting and his relations with Russia. Regarding them he noted that […]
Society
‘This day remains extremely painful to all of us’ – Prof Landsbergis at Paneriai (Ponar)
Paneriai,— The National Memorial Day for the Genocide of Lithuanian Jews was marked officially on September with a public commemoration at Paneriai, the most notorious Second World War massacre site in Lithuania where up to 100,000 people were killed. […]