(JTA) — The government of Lithuania asked Israeli President Shimon Peres to head the international advisory board for the restoration of the Vilnius Great Synagogue. “The [restoration] project is an important part of the effort to both preserve and restore Vilnius’ Jewish heritage, and I think that President Peres could bring valuable guidance and insight [...]
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Nazi Slogans Found at Former Concentration Camp
JTA – Lithuanian police discovered Nazi slogans at a former concentration camp. The slogans “Heil Hitler,” “Jews out” in German and a swastika were scrawled on the pavement near the HKP 562 labor camp in Vilnius, AFP reported. The graffiti was discovered April 22, two days after Adolf Hitler’s birthday. “It is especially horrific that these anti-Semitic slogans appeared [...]
Lithuania’s Synagogues Are Falling Into Ruin Due to Lack of Funding
AFP reports that Lithania’s wooden synagogues are falling into ruin due to a lack of funding and support. These rundown buildings are the remaining vestiges of the former Jewish presence that was wiped out in the Holocaust. Between 1941- 1944, the Nazis murdered approximately 90 percent of Lithuania’s 200,000 Jews. “Jews owned around 20 shops [...]
$47 Million Compensation for Jewish Holocaust Survivors Approved in Lithuania
Chancellor Deividas Matulionis, chief of staff for Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, has agreed to a $47 million lump sum transfer to the Jewish Lithuanian community as compensation for property lost during the Holocaust. This amount is due in 2014. Faina Kukliansky, vice president of Lithuania’s Jewish community, explained that they are currently working to [...]
Lithuanian Politicians Allegedly Using Anti-Semitic and Nazi Imagery in Elections
According to JTA, two nationalist politicians in Lithuania are currently being probed for their alleged use of anti-Semitic and Nazi imagery in their elections campaigns. The controversial materials include a Hindu swastika and leaflets that feature “a caricature of a smiling ultra-Orthodox Jew boasting about receiving money from the Lithuanian government.” Read the full JTA [...]
Trove of everyday items reveals Lithuania’s dark Holocaust secret
A young Lithuanian archaeologist reveals a dark secret hidden for 70 years: the remnants of the personal belongings of the Jews killed in the city of Kovno. Haaretz – By Ofer Aderet | Aug.31, 2012 On the shiny glass table lay jewelry, coins and metal utensils – similar to those in a catalog of antiques. [...]