The European Union has designated Vilnius as the “European Capital of Culture” for 2009. It is a recognition Lithuania does not deserve.
Vilnius, with its beautiful old town and venerable history, is without a doubt charming. Workers are busy restoring churches and palaces, and the first-time visitor is likely to be smitten by the postcard-perfect scenes.
But behind Vilnius’s picturesque facade is something far less appealing to behold: Lithuania’s record of systematically ignoring a major element of its cultural heritage. Jews have lived in Lithuania for a millennium. Vilnius — or Vilna, as it was also known — was a major center of Jewish life and scholarship, boasting so many yeshivas and prominent rabbis in the 18th century that it was known as “the Jerusalem of Lithuania.” By the 20th century one-third of the city’s population was Jewish. It was a world center of Yiddish culture and scholarship.
That ended with the Holocaust. The Nazis, with the assistance of Lithuanian collaborators, murdered 200,000 Jews, more than 90% of the country’s Jewish population.
Today, six decades later, the small, reviving Jewish community is seeking the return of former Jewish communal property as a means of restoring and preserving Jewish heritage sites and supporting its own limited religious and cultural needs. The Lithuanian Jewish community seeks to follow the paths taken by Jewish communities in neighboring countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, where community property restitution was implemented years ago.
In Prague the restored Jewish quarter, with its eight synagogues, is again the center of Jewish activity in the Czech Republic and a magnet for tourists. The Krakow neighborhood known as Kazimierz hosts an annual Jewish Cultural Festival that brings 25,000 people together for a week of concerts, films and lectures that display Poland’s rich Jewish legacy. In Slovakia a government-endowed foundation, created as a partial settlement for looted Jewish assets during the Holocaust, aids the elderly and restores cemeteries and synagogues.
None of this is happening in Lithuania. Instead, the Lithuanian government, for more than six years, has continually delayed an agreement on communal property restitution. Meanwhile, former Jewish properties have been privatized and the community lacks the most basic support for education and welfare.
Vilna’s historic Jewish cemetery, for example, was hundreds of years old, but in the mid-19th century tsarist Russia built a military fort on the site, and in the 1950s the Soviets replaced it with a sports arena. The pattern of disrespect continued under Lithuania’s post-Communist leadership. Despite promises that no graves would be desecrated under their watch, the land was privatized, sold to developers and, ignoring regulations to the contrary, city permits were issued to allow the construction of luxury apartments. Lithuania’s president promised in September 2007 to stop construction, but it has yet to be halted.
Holocaust knowledge also is wanting in Lithuania. The country was annexed by the Soviet Union before World War II ended, leaving no possibility of any critical, objective examination of Lithuania’s Holocaust history until it regained its freedom in 1991. A presidential decree created an international historical commission in 1998 to report on both the Nazi and Soviet occupations. Among its prominent members was Yitzak Arad, the founding director of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.
Arad was born in Lithuania. The Nazis killed his family, and as a teenager he fled and joined the Soviet Partisans. When the war ended he left for Palestine. Sixty years later a Lithuanian newspaper translated excerpts from his diary, describing the Partisans’ battles with Germans and Lithuanian collaborators. Last year Lithuania’s general prosecutor decided this was prima facie evidence that Arad might be guilty of war crimes and opened an investigation. The historical commission has published several scholarly works that detail the role of Lithuanians in the Holocaust. But the actions of the general prosecutor now make a mockery of these findings.
In March, when Lithuania celebrated its independence from the Soviet Union, several hundred neo-Nazis and skinheads paraded along Gedimino Avenue in central Vilnius, walking past the Parliament and the prime minister’s office, waving flags with a Lithuanian swastika and shouting “Juden Raus.”
This was not the first neo-Nazi rally in Eastern Europe. Last November a similar group organized a march in Prague with the provocative goal of walking through the city’s Jewish quarter. But in the Czech capital the neo-Nazis were greeted by thousands of vocal counter-demonstrators and nearly all the country’s political leaders. In Vilnius, where incitement to ethnic hatred is a crime, police made no arrests while providing the marchers with an escort. Lithuania’s president, to be fair, did voice criticism — 10 days after the event.
Twisting Holocaust memory, desecrating cemeteries, ignoring antisemitism and refusing to return communal property — surely this is not the best cultural capital Europe can offer. The E.U. should reconsider the honor accorded Vilnius.
Rabbi Andrew Baker is director of international Jewish affairs for the American Jewish Committee.
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If you check media, there have been fines given out to some of the people who were in that rally mentioned at the end of your article. It is disgraceful, but they know its wrong. They also know its wrong that the apartments were built on that cemetary, but the fact is that the developers bribed the mayor and that was that.
Dear Rabbi, actualy i don't understand seeks of your community. because only i can hear, it is property property and once again PROPERTY. You are saying, that by the 20th century one-third of the city’s population was Jewish. Why you do not hesitate to mention that lithuanians were only one tenth? The same in other cities of Lithuania. In the historical wiew, Republic of Lithuania is a new country. It has grand past of Grand Duche of Lithuania, with a huge teritory from Baltic to Black see. But lithuanians are not shouting to give back lands of Belarus, Ukraine, and part of Poland. We are leaving it for past. I understand, that your community had a lot of property, but why you connect PROPERTY WITH A CULTURE? If Jewish community wants, you are welcome to take a part in these events. But answer me, why only topic is property worth millions of dollars? Why you are dirting name of Lithuania calling it neo-Nazi land? there were only few high teens, not a movement of neo-Nazi.
Whereas it may be true that measures to ensure memory of the Jewish heritage in Vilnius by the authorities and the non-Jewish society are halfhearted, I do not understand how this perception may justify killing civilian population half a century ago, as if it were a crime only to kill the Jewish, but acceptable for a Jew to kill innocent Lithuanians, because... - as Rabbi Baker seems to suggest indirectly in his letter. The story of the cemetery must be told without forgetting that the cemetery in question was closed by the Tsarist Russia's authorities in 1830, compensation for closure was paid to the Jewish community, and various fortifications built on its site, destroying parts of the said cemetery. Certainly it may not be a good idea to build on that land without reasonable effort to make sure that no human remains are still on-site, as memory is of course important, but what does it all have to do with the European Capital of Culture? Does Rabbi Baker expect to alleviate antisemitism in Lithuania by writing such hatred letters, I wonder?
Now that someone mentioned it, the programme for Vilnius European Capital of Culture includes a Kaddish for victims of Holocaust, http://www.culturelive.lt/en/2009/events2009-live/2009live-museums-9/, Hommage to Jascha Heifetz, http://www.culturelive.lt/en/2009/events2009-live/2009live-museums-9/, a 3rd Litvak (Lithuanian Jews) Congress, http://www.culturelive.lt/en/2009/events2009-re/2009re-4a-10/, to mention but a few. Perhaps Rabbi Baker will attend?
This is an appalling state of affairs for a member of the European Community. If we stand by it can only get worse as we know from the past. City of Culture indeed, we need to promote tolerance and use the lessons of the Holocaust for good. Lithuania apparently has a lot to learn. Maybe open house Holocasut classes for the population could be freely available during this year of cultural enlightenment?
Mr. Margolis, why don't you click on the links provided by may earlier post, maybe you will also learn something, before getting so appalled?
This is a good article. As a Lithuanian, I feel a great pain and shame because of what has happened during the Holocaust and the government's inability to deal with this issue very fast and properly at present. However, I think I've seen a newspaper article that discussed that there was some disagreement between two or three Jewish organizations as to whom the property belongs (e.g. discussion between Alperavicius and Katz) - and the government's line was in essence 'please, tell us to whom this belongs and we will give it back'. Not so sure how valid these arguments are; the fact is that the property has to be restored. Also, it is important to note that it is very easy to 'spin' sensitive issues like this by painting half the picture. I believe Arad was asked to come and present some evidence regarding the events during WWII and after. No accusations were presented at that point. In Lithuania this stance resonates with other persons, Nakhman Dushansky and Pyotr Raslan, who were in charge of KGB troops in Rainiai massacre http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainiai_massacre - who had a very good life in Soviet Lithuania (up until late 1980s) and then went to live in Israel and Russia respectively. No calls were returned as to helping investigate this massacre.
Most of my family perished in the Vilna ghetto at hands of Lithuanians and Poles. That and this persistent lack of apology or recognition of wrongdoing, that I have such mixed fixed feelings about the Yiddish program in Vilnius. On the one hand, it's a chance to say "You tried to kill us,you ------s, but we're back. On the other, it gives them an opportunity to squeeze out of taking responsibility.
Sylvia, I sympathize with you. I understand, to you the pain is great and perhaps there is no forgiveness, all of the Lithuanians are at fault - forever. Present day Lithuania, as the other Baltic states, came out of the Soviet occupation crippled; every third family had someone in Siberia; cultural life and investigation of history (including Holocaust) as you probably know were suppressed. The obvious nazi sympathizers were killed off by the soviets, the rest fled to the West where they are being prosecuted. Those who stayed on most likely did not participate in these events. Those who care now try to mend the past and do as much as they can. Do you shun them? Is there no forgiveness at all - even to those who have nothing to do with the Holocaust?
Ms. Schildt, with all respect, who's squeezing out of taking responsability? would you stop offencing lithuanian nation? say names of those guilty for your family death, stop mentioning nationalities. it is attribute of nazies. you say lithuanians and polish people are guilty, and now we dont want to take responsability. but whats about other people, that were saving jewish lives, hiding them from nazies. those people were lithuanians and polish as well. whats about jews serving in furers army? we cant talk about nations, because we can easily offence inocent people. i feel sorry for whats happend for some people in our beautifull country at some historical times, but im not going to say EXCUSE US, LITHUANIANS, FOR WHAT WE HAVE DONE, because im not asking to SAY SAME FROM RUSSIANS OR GEORGIANS (STALLIN WAS FROM GEORGIA). THERE ARE ALWAYS FEW BAS--RDS IN EVERY NATION, BUT NATION ISN'T GUILTY FOR THOSE FEW BAS--RDS. personaly I haven't done anything bad for jews. so it is a so intolerant for rabbi to spread such a mistaken ideas in such a solid newspaper.
Starting with a 4 month stint as a Fulbright lecturer at Vilnius State University in 1981, I have spent a total of 7 or 8 months there. I spoke Russian and Lithuanian. I socialized with high-ranking Lithuanians in the educational establishment, and also with members of the Jewish community. I went to shul every shabbat. A few years ago a prominent member of the Academy of Sciences, who I knew, murdered his much younger wife in a drunken rage. Nothing happened to him, since, as my colleagues explained, he is old, and after all, what can you do to an old man... This is also how Lithuanians feel about trying former Nazi collaborators in their 80's. They argue that horrible things happened during the war, on all sides. There is a statue memorializing the fallen Lithuanians of the war. It is a standing mourning woman--mother Lithuania. Under each arm is a soldier--one son fought on the Russian side, the other on the German. So I believe that the new pursuit of former Soviet partisans in Israel is basically tit-for-tat. The Jewish community also offers a mixed bag. On the one hand treasures of the Vilna community have been claimed and taken away by western Jewish communities--the Yivo documents, for example. On the other hand, the local community apparently has driven Chabad out of Vilnius on grounds that it does not represent local Jewish culture. In the name of Jewish "culture" this secular community could not support a kosher restaurant. The obliteration of historic Jewish presence was characteristic of Soviet rule. I was there in 1981, 1991, 1999, and I saw how, absent Soviet control, recognition and commemoration of the Jewish past was going on. Unlike Russian, Lithuanian historical narratives seem to have no problem mentioning Jewish presence. I've davened in western Europe, Poland, and Lithuania, and unlike the synagogues in Italy or France, the synagogue in Vilnius was not guarded by numerous police. In Vilnius I walked to and entered Jewish institutions that were open, unguarded, and without anti-semitic graffiti. I walked around in a kippah, and the only person who said anything or even seemed to notice was an Israeli in an elevator. I wonder if Rabbi Baker had to choose to wear a kippah in Paris or in Vilnius, he would prefer Paris?
Ms. Schildt, with all respect, who's squeezing out of taking responsability? would you stop offencing lithuanian nation? say names of those guilty for your family death, stop mentioning nationalities. it is attribute of nazies. you say lithuanians and polish people are guilty, and now we dont want to take responsability. but whats about other people, that were saving jewish lives, hiding them from nazies. those people were lithuanians and polish as well. whats about jews serving in furers army? we cant talk about nations, because we can easily offence inocent people. i feel sorry for whats happend for some people in our beautifull country at some historical times, but im not going to say EXCUSE US, LITHUANIANS, FOR WHAT WE HAVE DONE, because im not asking to SAY SAME FROM RUSSIANS OR GEORGIANS (STALLIN WAS FROM GEORGIA). THERE ARE ALWAYS FEW BAS--RDS IN EVERY NATION, BUT NATION ISN'T GUILTY FOR THOSE FEW BAS--RDS. personaly I haven't done anything bad for jews. so it is a so intolerant for rabbi to spread such a mistaken ideas in such a solid newspaper.
Ms. Schildt, with all respect, who's squeezing out of taking responsability? would you stop offencing lithuanian nation? say names of those guilty for your family death, stop mentioning nationalities. it is attribute of nazies. you say lithuanians and polish people are guilty, and now we dont want to take responsability. but whats about other people, that were saving jewish lives, hiding them from nazies. those people were lithuanians and polish as well. whats about jews serving in furers army? we cant talk about nations, because we can easily offence inocent people. i feel sorry for whats happend for some people in our beautifull country at some historical times, but im not going to say EXCUSE US, LITHUANIANS, FOR WHAT WE HAVE DONE, because im not asking to SAY SAME FROM RUSSIANS OR GEORGIANS (STALLIN WAS FROM GEORGIA). THERE ARE ALWAYS FEW BAS--RDS IN EVERY NATION, BUT NATION ISN'T GUILTY FOR THOSE FEW BAS--RDS. personaly I haven't done anything bad for jews. so it is a so intolerant for rabbi to spread such a mistaken ideas in such a solid newspaper.
To be fair . . . the majority of the people who helped to subjugate the country of Lithuania to the Soviet Union were Jewish. If this wouldn't provoke extreme anger; what would ? Yes, there can be no excuse for genocide but Jewish people must come clean and admit that they were the main component of the communist movement in Lithuania at the time. I feel that, if they do this, there can definitely be room for healing !
In reply to someone's question, the special Lithuanian swastika was on flags and sewn on to the nazi uniforms of the nero-nazi marchers, hundreds of whom marched up the city's central boulevard on the country's independence day with a police escort. To this day not a single police official has resigned or apologized. You can see the Lithuanian swastika on video clips of the parade, for example at <a href="http://www.lrytas.lt/videonews/?id=12052542121204207405&sk=1">http://www.lrytas.lt/videonews/?id=12052542121204207405&sk=1</a>
what is the difference. based upon the logic here only copenhagen deserves the title. who cares. we are of the vanished world and it is not coming back. the richness and beauty we enjoyed as european citizens has been erased. and, if given the chance, they will do it again. it is a-comin' in amerika and will be courtesy of the democratic party. who was ruling when the holocaust emerged?
As a non-Jew who has visited Lithuania on several occasions, I want to congratulate Andrew Baker for the clarity, moderation and sharp pinpointing of issues which I have seen fuzzed over elsewhere. As for the rest, it is up to Europe to decide whether racial hatred tolerated by the government is cause enough for making a statement of one kind or another. Thank you, Andy Baker, and please, Lithuanians, do not be angry at the author who has expressed himself with extreme care and moderation.
Three cheers for Andrew Baker who is one of the first to have indirectly hit on something big for human rights internationally. The west and america were so very overenthusisatic to bring the more or less primitive societies of Eastern Europe into Nato and the European Union out of a revenge-wish against Russia after the Cold War. Bush especially couldn't care less about human rights and antisemitism, and unlimited money and now honor (like making such an antisemitic city with police escorted Nazi marches into some "cultural captial of europe" --- well if that's European culture, I see how the Holocaust occurred so easily), as long as these countries would play into the western "need" to keep forever "fighting Russia" with ever more missiles, bases, leading to a new cold war long before there had to be one. What we have received "Back" from Lithuania for billions in investment is the new Lithuanian swastika with its "extra lines at the edges." I think Americans should be demanding sanctions against Lithuania in congress and not remain silent this time. The message of the new "capital of European culture" honor is that if the west needs you against Russia, human rights go down the tube, and you can get away with anything against minorities' rights. For shame. And thanks to Andrew Baker for raising the flag of warning.
gjdagis (see his/her comment above) explains to us all what the problem is in Lithuania. Instead of acknowledging the Holocaust like Germany, and moving forward based on truth, the anti-semitic elite of Lithuania succeeded in "blaming the victims" and teaching its people (including our clueless gjdagia.....) that "the Jews were the communists who caused all the trouble" when in fact there were about 500 Jewish communists in Lithuania before the war. Many more Jews than Lithuanians were, proportionately speaking, deported to Siberia by the anti-semitic Soviets, and many many Lithuanians collaborated with the Soviets. But the ugly racist lie "The Jews were communists" is the excuse-line for Baltic fascists for their butchering their entire Jewish populations, from the tiniest child to the oldest rabbis, and nowadays tolerating nazi marches with their brand newly minted Lithuanian Swastika with its extra lines. That is the contribution of the new NATO member Lithuania to international culture. I am writing to my senator asking for the US to withdraw its ambassador from the neo fascist state that continues to tolerate beating up black people on the street and nazi marches yelling Juden Raus.
Mr. Simon Robinson; You prove my point: Unless BOTH sides are willing to admit their faults; there can be no reconciliation or atonement for the past ! If you note; there was no vitriolic tone in my post (unlike in yours), I was just pointing out how the other side feels. Lithuania was the only country in Europe who opened it's doors to Jewish people; they have had a good home there since the early middle ages. If you want anyone to believe that a whole NATION, a whole RACE of people would turn on them in an instant, you are VERY mistaken. Sure, there were a few extremists; you have them in EVERY country and people (including Jews), but it is RACIST to condemn an entire country like you do. You might also note that Lithuania was the ONLY country where an SS unit couldn't be fielded. The Lithuanians hated the Nazis almost as much as the communists but, then again, the communists exterminated so many Lithuanians ! Shalom !
I feel this discussion is leading us all nowhere. What I hear is "Lithuanians are anti-semitic", "they killed the Jews", "they do not admit their wrongdoing", "they must be punished", "sanctions against neo-fascist state". Dear people, the President of Lithuania apologised for participation of some of the Lithuanians in Shoa in his speech at the Knesset in 1995. More than 500 Lithuanians are recognised “Righteous Among the Nations” for risking their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. Yes, some kind of antisemitism (and all kinds of racism) is present in the Lithuanian society, as the march of 200 stupid idiots bellowing "Juden Raus" (who have hardly ever met a Jew) shows, and this march has taken authorities unprepared. There are many reasons for that but none of them justify it. Yes, justice must prevail, and those who lost their whole family in Shoa in Lithuania will remain forever mourning and will perhaps hate any mentioning of the country, however letters filled with rabid hatred from either side only fuel more of such confrontation. When someone mentions that property restitution to the Jewish community in Lithuania is hindered not just by unwillingness of the authorities or disapproval of the society, but not least because of the permanent squabbles of a number of local and foreign Jewish organisations which of them should be the recipient (where Rabbi Baker prominently figures), to a degree that the only synagogue in Vilnius had to be closed to the community several years ago as two factions were physically fighting during the service over who of the two Rabbis is the legitimate one, one is told this is internal Jewish business: sure it is, but who to give the property to? I have provided some examples of frail reconciliation efforts in my earlier post, but no one wishes to notice. How can we, the Lithuanians who want to get the things right, succeed? Perhaps the next proposal from the readers will be for the USA to drop an H-bomb on Lithuania? I will keep reading your comment in Forward to learn when to run.
May I ask Paulius to reflect that Lithuania was heading in the correct direction of reconciliation and truth in the 1990s, when President Brazauskas apologized to the Jewish people in Jerusalem in a historic address at the Knesset in 1995, as Paulius correctly mentions, that does great service to the honor of Lithuania. Things were heading in the right direction. As someone who loves Lithuania, might not Paulius now worry that his country's recent and current leaders have not risen to the legacy of Brazauskas (whom today's folks like to decry as a former "communist" in a country that has just declared Nazism and Communism absolutely equal), and have in recent months tolerated nazi marches down the center of town, antisemitic articles each week that are out of Goebbels' handbook, and worst of all, a campaign to "blame the victims" and twist history to the point where people far from the topic come to "blame the Jews for the Holocaust." The sickest manifestation of this has been the campaign to defame the last of the last Holocaust survivors who are alive because they joined the anti-Hitler resistance. This twisting of history that is making so much of the West so angrey does a grave disservice to Lithuania. Instead of the various terrific (NON-Jewish, Lithuanian-led) NGOs and initiatives, in a spirit of open society life, that thrived in the late 1990s, you now have a (Soviet-style!) Commission of "God's Honest Truth" that puts the "Nazi" and "Soviet" evils into its very title, and that sponsors sickening events on the streets of Vilnius. In other words, much of Lithuania's current troubles with the West result from a drastic change for the worst in the government's policites in recent years, which seem to be using antisemitism as a tool to push away difficult questions like restitution, the Holocaust and more. Paulius, as a Lithuanian patriot, might also see that his country's leaders (not its fine people!) are heading in the wrong direction, and he might even protest at the incredible trick perpetrated against the founding director of Yad Vashem Professor Y. Arad: the prsident begs him to join the commission, an antisemitic newspaper denounces him based on his own book of decades before, an antisemitic prosecutor who doesn't bother much with Nazi collaborators who butchered thousands of fellow citizens because of race finds the energy to defame Prof. Arad. This kind of "trick" (inviting a Holocaust survivor only to defame him to then try to prove "The Only Good Jew is a Dead Jew" on the basis of the defamation) is bound to make lots of people very angry, dear Paulius. There are real real problems with the government's manipulation of Jewish issues in such a cyncial way. The problem you need to be working on Paulius, is not the faults of "The Jews" in America or Israel (and everyone has many faults), but to make a better Lithuania with a government that better serves its noble people. Last but not least, it wouldn't hurt to learn not to get so excited if someone writes a strong article! Such discussions are normal in modern democratic societies, and it is sad that the posts on the Lithuanian translation are so full of genocidal racial hate against Jews, in a country that will very soon have none at all, because it had the most successful rate of murder of the Jews in all of Europe. PS: In looking at how to influence the government to act with more wisdom, it would help to talk about the issues instead of defining the problem as "Zuroff" or "Baker" or "The Jews."
"...have in recent months tolerated nazi marches down the center of town, antisemitic articles each week that are out of Goebbels' handbook..." . What a dirty collection of dirty events in LT, indeed. Turns out, it's a pretty dirty country. Sorry. So what would be the solution, apart that idle talk above? If the foreigners know better - so come and rule the country. You know better, so give us a lesson. Everybody is smart to work with his tongue (including Lithuanians, of course) and to collect all the disgusting things into one place, but what would be the solution to please those foreign Jewish people? Should ethnic lithuanins commit a mass suicide (and make the Russian Federation the happiest state in the world)? Or should it be all LT citizens? Then your property would be OK indeed. Sounds as if some of the posters above foreigners are working for FSB or so. Familiar methods, familiar style. This is not a discussion but typical soviet-style demagogy. We are fed up with it, as any westerner perfectly know, so if it was a normal discussion it would be the discussion and it would be normal. Now it's neither discussion nor normal. Though maybe there are just these few angry individuals who "make the weather" here and make others (like me) angry too, then I take my previous words back, of course. Sane people, if they know better, would post the list of necessary solutions. Don't see any list so far.
First of all a question to Budd MArgolis - I wonder how much you know about Lithuania at all???? To MS Sylvia Schildt - I am a Lithuanina and none of my family ever harmed a Jew but some of them were tortured by a Soviet officer who was a Jew. I wonder what whould happen if I used the kind of racial slurr you did in your comment??? The only thing that comes to my mind is that there is a lot of bad feeling from jewish people. Our president did apologize. History is history…. Lithuanians suffered a lot from other nations including the Jewish people but I did not hear any apology... I do not think Jewish community has any trouble practicing their religious beliefs or observing their traditions. Somehow everything is centered around the property. As for somebody’s comment that Lithuania is continuing bad practices towards the Jews from the Soviet era – well that just shows that the person who said that is completely unaware how the things were during Soviet times….. Mr. Baker blames all the evils of the world on Lithuanians including the time when Lithuanian was occupied by Soviet Union. And it is just not fair. The comments labeling LITHUANIANS as “the evil nation” are just plain racist. We all know there are problems in Lithuania but show me a country that does not have any… Culture has nothing to do with it. And by the way we have a very vast cultural heritage.
well, i see that all of you people, with exception of J.F. Levin, are not so far from the image of "Angry Jew" created by well known clown Sacha Baron Cohen. thats a basic difference in christianity and judaism. you are not teached to forgive, forget and move on further. you live in a past. people that wrote angry comments down here, are not better than damned Mr. Adolf. same signature. hate against NATION OF LITHUANIANS. not against some person, but against nation. thats bad. very bad. Anyway, i am teached to forgive. so i'll be praying our Lord Jesus to ease your pain, to ease your hate against non-jewish nations and to give you relieving sense of forgivenes that comes with the Light of Holly Spirit. peace with you. my dearest brothers and sisters. P.S. Please visit our beautifull country, and you will see, that it is not so bad as you can create image from som articles:) you are welcome!!!!
You must be kidding, right? The nation that lives on occupied lands is preaching. Great ! What's next. Oh I'm sorry, I did not mean Jerusalem. I think I meant native Americans that were done basically by everybody else. Maybe I should write to the pope (oh that probably would not be effective), OK I will write to Dead Ears Society and ask for America finally to return the lands to the natives. I'm not joking, those people (all right those people are dead, but grand children) are still drinking their own piss somewhere in “North Dakota” ... Try to beat that when you think of genocide (oh! No! I did not say that). Actually I have to be forgiven for my uncapability to understand certain serious issues, because I am primitive uneducated Lithuanian idiot (officially and unofficially). What do you expect me to do, it's true that those billions from USA and the West taught me how to read and write but maybe that is just not enough. I will yet have to see my first school massacre, crack cocaine epidemic and my first racial riot. And if my country will be lucky enough in getting fraction of the trillions Israel gets for guarding frontiers of the Western democracy, I solemnly promise to invade and liberate Kalinigrad region. Seriously give us some of those fancy helicopters you have and we'll show you some moves. Talking about Neo Nazis, forget about them, they are just learning from (well I don't think I need to waste mine or yours time mentioning all the names). You show me one European Country that has no Nazist, Fascist, Terrorist or any other Radical groups and I will change my name to Donkey Lover. What I want to say to all the preachers out there STOP PATRONISING US AND WELL DO JUST FINE. I have nothing to apologise for, and I don't seek for an apology either. I promise you this though, if you'll keep insulting me and my nation you will build a wall through which I will not be able to hear or see you any longer.
I do not agree with the tone and the style of Simas' post. I believe we need to have a honest discussion about the issues that bother us preferably without unspecific racist remarks on either side. There is one point that in my humble opinion seems to be missing from A.Baker's opinion. In Lithuania during the Nazi times (WWII) there were at least three kinds of organized groups: Nazi supporters (although they were not able to organize a SS legion in Lithuania), Lithuanian resistance fighters who were both against the Soviets and the Nazis, and the 'Soviet' or 'Red Army' partisans who were operating at the Lith - Belarussian border and who supported actions of the Red Army. When the country was re-occupied at the end of WWII, the Nazi supporters and the Lith resistance fighters were brutally killed off (there is an excellent novel in Russian by Efraim Sevela called "The Viking"). Meanwhile, the "Soviet" partisans were OK with the Stalin's regime that occupied the country. In Lithuania, if a "Soviet" partisan publishes a book where he or she describes an event where it appears that innocent civilians were killed or there is a crime against humanity, some survivor of the event or a relative can file a suit. Is there anything wrong with that? The court then has to investigate the case and either dismiss it or perform a trial. In fact, one of the Lithuanian Jews, Fania Brancovskaja, was questioned in a case like this (she was a Soviet partisan). And guess what - most likely the case will be put to bed. Even though judicial arm is separated from executive arm, recent honoring of her by the Lith MP G. Kirkilas I think is indicative. I believe we need to destroy fences, not build them. A calm discussion would definitely help.
EZ needs a sense of proportion. These were not a bunch of equal partisans on all sides. The gleeful mass murder by Lithuanians of their Jewish neighbors in 1941 resulted in the country's having the worst record of genocide in Europe. 220,000 Jewish citizens (they were also citizens of Lithuania, EZ) were murdered by Lithuanian "patriots" and since independence the prosecutors have done all they can to avoid punishing a single one. And now, based on a vicious antisemitic article in a Vilnius newspaper on January 29th, the prosecutor started his racist campaign against the last Jewish survivors who are alive only because they joined the partisans. The prosecutor started compiling lists of Jewish partisans to defame them and by extension all of the tiny surviving Jewish community in Lithuania, which recently issued an Open Letter protesting the prosecutor's blatant anti-semitism. But the Community's Open Letter has not been supported by a single Lithuanian personality or organization because of the new and very sad atmosphere of not speaking out and just jumping to the defense of racist prosecutors as some kind of guardians of the nation's honour. EZ would be a much better Lithuanian patriot if he/she looked into the way prosecutors and politicians in the country continue to do the country's name so much harm with their anti-semitic policy which has included in recent months tolerating a nazi parade on independence day down the capital's main boulevard, and the sickening campaign to defame the last brave anti-nazi partisan heroes. There is a sinister government agenda to deny the Holocaust by confusing the issue, hoping that nobody would notice. But the world has noticed and it waits for the Lithuanian people to say something in protest. It is curioous how the Lithuanian government's propaganda department is so busy on the Forward site. It would be nicer to see some protests by any of the vast majority of decent and noble Lithuanians at their government's racist policy, to show the world that there are in fact different and dissenting opinions among Lithuanians too, as I know there are. The fine Lithuanian people are being betrayed by their leaders who have decided not to come clean about the Holocaust like Germany or latterly Austria, but to compound the worst record of genocide in Europe with today's worst record of Holocaust Denial (just go to the Genocide Museum which is a disgrace to the European Union). EZ might be rushing for a medal: if he keeps confusing the issue with these partisans, those partisans and the other partisans, ignoring that there was a Holocaust, he may get a gold star from someone. But if he/she wants to be a true patriot of Lithuania, then it is appropriate to admit that some things are not as they should be in one's own country.
"... having the worst record of genocide in Europe. 220,000 Jewish citizens (they were also citizens of Lithuania, EZ) were murdered..." - maybe. Sourse, please. Otherwise it's demagogy. . "...220,000 Jewish citizens murdered by Lithuanian "patriots"..." - source, please. Maybe there were at least few Germans, or, say, just non-lithuanians? Or should we trust you blindly? . "...based on a vicious antisemitic article in a Vilnius newspaper on January 29th..." - source, please. There are lot of newspapers, basicly nobody read them, so it would be good to know what the newspaper you talking about. . "..the prosecutor started his racist campaign against the last Jewish survivors.." - it would be a crime, if lithuanians missed it, but you have noticed it, there is no need to complain, just put the prosecutor on trial. . "...But the Community's Open Letter has not been supported by a single Lithuanian personality or organization... " - lie. You would gain much more without lying. Nobody deny any statement in this Letter. . "... because of the new and very sad atmosphere of not speaking out and just jumping to the defense of racist prosecutors as some kind of guardians of the nation's honour..." - continuation of your misinterpretation. You would gain more without such attitude. I.e. you would gain more if your attitude was normal. . "...how the Lithuanian government's propaganda department ..." what you're talking about? Source, please. What is "Government's propaganda department"? . . "...It would be nicer to see some protests ..." - ehhr, so you support the way of violence and terrorism? Protests would be nicer for you? Come and run for president, be elected and put everything to rights. Why to complain and lie? . "..there are in fact different and dissenting opinions among Lithuanians too, as I know there are..."- quite right. Thanks for stating some bits of truth. . "...the fine Lithuanian people are being betrayed by their leaders who have decided not to come clean about the Holocaust ..." - source please. There are many bad things in LT, but your polite suppositions about the life in LT are distorted. Of course, foreign readers trust you. So you, of course, gain what you want. You don't want to make things right in LT, right? :)))
Simon - I appreciate our discussion but I do not appreciate ad hominem attacks. I also believe that the Lith Government should do more and faster to do things right, and I feel a great shame and grief because of what has happened during WWII. But there are finer nuances that sometimes get lost - and I wanted to point them out. One of them being that the resistance fighters (former Lith army officers, policemen, farmers) were both against Nazis and Stalin's regime, and they were fighting for the freedom of their country, not against Jews. If a Jew happened to be in a "Soviet" partisan squad (i.e. the squad supports the actions of the Soviet army and regime), and they fought each other this does not make them anti-semitic, or does it? They fought until late 50s and died a terrible death. Is that what provoked your personal attack? I think the Lith government should do more, but it does not appear to me that there is a malicious intent and the Holocaust is ignored. That is the way they work - and if one puts the pressure on them they slowly will do it. As an example - just recently - after many years of lobbying by the Lith US diaspora Seimas allowed the Nato and EU citizens have dual Lithuanian citizenship. Again, the reason for those particular choices is based on "friendly" country status, i.e. if one swore to a non-friendly country, he or she cannot at the same time be a citizen and swear to Lithuania. So, I believe this is a significant gain for the US Jews in particular, for they will be able (if they choose so) to regain the citizenship and defend their interests more effectively.
Mr. Robinson is a school teacher, perhaps? He knows what everyone should do: me, others in this discussion, the Governments of various countries, right and wrong directions... It is also good to be told what I should be working on. No wonder there are so few comments here. I have tried to make a couple of points, how naive of me. Happy teaching, perhaps there is other audience here who likes to see those stupid Lithuanians put in their place.
Credit to EZ and others for a willingness to discuss, but the denial of raw, primitive racism and antisemitism as the heart of the problem does Lithuania no good. From the Holocaust to the recent targeting of Jewish freedom fighters by antisemitic politicians and their stooge prosecutors (who have yet to punish a single mass murderer), to the nazi march on independence day with its shouts of "Take a big stick and kill that little Jew-boy", racism is what brings shame to Lihtuania. The one black performer resident in the country recently left after being beaten up. Instead of figuring out new ways to dance around it it is time someone said: "As a proud Lithuanian, I want my country to come clean about the Holocaust, and I am ashamed of the recent attacks on the tiny number of Jews who survived in my country, which sadly had one of the worst survival rates in Europe because of the racism and antisemitism of so much of the population that resulted in the massive collaboration." As for the citizenship laws in Lithuania, they are a lesson for lawyers in how to figure out ways to inject racial criteria into such laws (for example, by excluding Israel from the countries eligible for dual citizenship, in effect to "keep out the Jews"). Lithuanians are a fine nation and we hope to see them stand up to their antisemitic leaders on the whole host of issues now doing the country's name so much damage. I was recently stationed in Lithuania with my company and I found the people terrific. Nobody mistreated me for being obviously Jewish the whole time I was there. It's the politicians and their antisemitic policies that are so bad, and my Lithuanian friends were always willing to tell me that themselves in private, but when it comes to speaking up, only the clever deniers like EZ seem to feel comfortable. Let's hope for good news after the next elections, and let's hope for politicians that won't continue racial hatred as the hallmark of their policies. Congratulations to Rabbi Andrew Baker for his courage and moderate tone in bringing a whole range of issues together in a concise essay. I urge my Lithuanian friends not to take this personally. Debate and criticism are part of the free world, and if anything, the issues Rabbi Baker raises should make Lithuanians realize that they are getting a raw deal from their political leaders who see advantage in cooking up divisions, which is sad.
OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY VALDAS ADAMKUS, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA CESLOVAS JURSENAS, SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA GEDIMINAS KIRKILAS, PRIME MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA ALGIMANTAS VALANTINAS, PROSECUTOR GENERAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA The prosecutors of Lithuania do not cease to persecute anti-Nazi Jewish partisans. The Prosecution Service’s claims that “hundreds of witnesses are being questioned” are belied by the fact that only Jewish names are being heard in the media: Yitzhak Arad, Fania Brantsovsky, Rachel Margolis, and others. This enables us to conclude that efforts are being made in order to shape Lithuanian public opinion by portraying Jews as primarily responsible for the crimes of the Soviet totalitarian regime. The negative image of anti-Nazi Jewish partisans is being consciously constructed in the mass media. For example, an officer from the Prosecution Service said in public that a search for Fania Brantsovsky was allegedly announced, although this former ghetto prisoner and anti-Nazi partisan has lived in Vilnius for more than 80 years and has a permanent job. We feel that it is our duty to remind the public that the anti-Nazi Jewish partisans were prisoners of the ghettos that had been established by the Nazis and their Lithuanian collaborators, and survived only because they fought an armed fight against Hitlerism. By fighting against Nazism they saved Lithuania’s honor in World War II, and contributed to the Allied forces’ victory against Nazi Germany. During the Nazi occupation, the Nazis and their local collaborators killed more than 220,000 Jews; they destroyed the Lithuanian Jewish community almost completely. It needs to be repeated that during eighteen years of independence, not a single Nazi collaborator was punished. What is more, the prosecutors show signs of trying to revise Holocaust history by reversing the historical emphasis. We strongly deny the direct and indirect accusations against Jews for the crimes committed by the Soviet regime. We ask that it be kept in mind that “world Zionism” together with “American imperialism” were the greatest enemies of the Soviet empire. State antisemitism was included in the official policy of the Communist Party. Jewish citizens of Lithuania suffered a higher proportional loss than their Lithuanian neighbors during the Soviet deportations of 1941. After the war all the members of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee were shot and mass campaigns were launched by the Soviet regime, against “doctor-killers” (the “Doctors’ Plot” — concerning medical personnel of Jewish nationality) or against “rootless cosmopolitans” (= Jewish artists). After Stalin’s death Hebrew teachers or people who wanted to emigrate to Israel were persecuted. The term “prisoner or Zion” entered into the world’s vocabulary. It needs to be stated that the Prosecution Service feels the pressure of certain politicians. For example, Fania Brantsovsky was summoned to the investigator after an appeal by a member of the Seimas, R. Kupčinskas of the Homeland Union fraction. The fact that the the “International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania,” established by the President (chaired by E. Zingeris), did not publicly defend its own member Yitzhak Arad, or the other Jewish anti-Nazi partisans, is also surprising. It is a pity but such facts do not honor our state. This is evident from numerous publications in the foreign press and by letters that our community receives. The Lithuanian Jewish Community has been planning to organize the Third World Litvak Congress for the “Vilnius – European Capital of Culture 2009” program and to invite Nobel Prize laureates with roots here in Lithuania to the congress. Now we receive unequivocal messages from our partners that no participation is possible in any events organized in Lithuania while the persecution of former ghetto prisoners and anti-Nazi partisans proceeds apace. This forces us to think whether it is at all feasible to organize the Third World Litvak Congress. We demand a halt to the persecution of Jewish anti-Nazi partisans who fought for the Allied victory in World War II. We hope that the Prosecution Service’s activities will be guided not by letters from certain members of Seimas, but by the decisions of the International Nuremberg Tribunal and the International Holocaust Conference in Stockholm. Dr. Simonas Alperavicius (Simon Alperovitch) Chairman of the Lithuanian Jewish Community Tobijas Jafetas, Chairman of the Union of Former Ghetto and Concentration Camp Prisoners
I'm really sick of these blanket accusations against Lithuanians by people who demonstrate shallow understanding of Lithuanian history and fail to imagine the conditions of wartime occupation by brutal invaders. No country in Europe was without collaborators in the Holocaust, and there were plenty of Lithuanian Jews who collaborated with the Soviet invaders in persecuting ethnic Lithuanians, as well as other Jews, in 1940. Does that justify the Holocaust? Of course not. And neither does the collaboration with the Germans of a small minority of Lithuanians justify the sort of attack on Lithuania typified by this article.
Actually, the skinheads never marched near the Parliament. But they did scant "Juden raus", while passing the Government's building. It's a disgrace to all of us. Why Lithuanian polititians were so slow to react? The President was on his holidays in Mexico, and there was a looooong weekend (some 5 days), maybe that's an exuse. But not the reason. The reasons are disgracefull, still - they were simply afraid to loose the electorate before the upcoming elections, and they believe the electorate was represented by those skinheads. 2 of them were fined indeed - out of 200. A poll in news portal Delfi showed that the majority of Lithuanians support the skinhead rally. I don't know, whether this is the horrible reality, or they didn't quite understand what the march was about. One way or the other, we need to talk about that, because there's an obvious injustice here a ignorance of it by the large part of society. Maybe we really should teach the kids more about the horrors of the WWII. After all, it's all about what the kids are tought. I just read in one internet forum how a 20 year old says that her mother has always told her that little kids are abducted and killed by the Jewish, makind bread with babies' blood. So she still thinks it must be truth, no smoke without fire. I think we should eliminate the ignorance and hence, tales of hatred rising from ignorance, we shoud replace it with compassion and responsibility. How to do that? My idea is to start with exposing the problems and to invite people (Lithuanians and Jews) to come together, get to know each other. We do have beautifull stories to share as well, stories of courageous Lithuanians who saved Jewish children, stories of many famous Jews, who lived in Vilnius, adding to its culture...
Shame on the Author,, a lot of non jewish lithuanians also were killed by the Nazi and soviets, Too bad, the author did not read up on how Lithuanians invited and protected the jewish people for hundreds of years. Shame on him,,I think he needs to read Litvaks,, and I might remind people that the Nazis almost marched thru the skokie neighborhood of Ill but did not,, they marched thru a Lithuanian neighborhood in Chicago,, the one thing every one seems to forgot,, to have a democracy of any kind,, one must have the freedom of speech even if it is disagreeable, BTW.. My grandmother sent her only child out of Lithuania in 1938,, to get her out,, My grandmother surived the concentration camp,, only to be beaten to death by a soviet soldier,, My mother was a stateless citizen in the US,, she was only a child went she came to the US, after the death of my mother,, there is no other family left on her side, only my self and children,, no aunts, uncles, cousins,, no body in lithuania,, they were killed or died at the hands of both the Nazi and Soviets. and I might also added the lithuania had the nazis on one side and Soviets on the other, caught in the middle, and I might also ask how many non jewish Lithuanians died as well,, remember there were five million non jewish folks that died as well,,,,I do not see the former soviets nor former nazi german apolizing to me for the entire line of family that I lost. Lithuanian be it jewish or non jewish suffered as much and lost as much,,,,,
There is a truth that Lithuanians do indeed fail to acknowledge the role of Jewish community in the country's history. However aggressive and insulting remarks as expressed by some (not necessarily this article) do nothing to improve that. Of course it will increase the anti-Lithuanian sentiment among the most conservative people in the Jewish communities worldwide, but this is about it. I understand the struggle of the Jewish people throughout history but such negative remars will give no positive effect to absolutey anyone. Hate me or denounce me for these words but that's the reality. Regarding any suspects of collaborations with the Soviet occupants, it will be dealt with in accordance to the national and EU law as well as ECHR. Lithuania is a legitimate mamber of the EU and other international organisations and law functions in accordance with them... so it is indeed very strange to hear any accusations towards the Lithuania's prosecutors for their ongoing investigation.
What cemetery, where cemetery, no jew cared for that alleged jewish cemetery for years. And now that someone can see a possibility of making money, they finally remembered their alleged cemetery. Band of jokes and nothing more.
Dear Rabbi, I'm lithuanian and i have to say, that all lithuanians knows and believes, that holocaust is wrong, restitution has to be done. But after reading your article i have to say, that you are saying not all truth. 1. relations between lithuanians and lithuanian jews are in a very good condition and we understand each other and we dont see any problems to live and work together. But here comes jews' organizations from America and Israel and says that all lithuanians are band and killers and jews are anly good. This is how all that confrontation comes from - from american and Israel jewsish people. 2. Those cemeteries were SOLD by jewish community to the tsarist Russia and displaced. According to the historical maps, those apartments are not in the teritory of ex-cemetery, but next to it. 3. Mail problem of restitution is that there is no both sides agreement about the exact list of the jewish community's property in lithuania. Its not fare, that foreign jewish communities are trying to get a big part of property which could be returned to lithuanian jewish. Also in the American jews' list there are lots of buildings listed which had never been a property of jewish COMMUNITIES in Lithuania or was legaly sold, or there is no way how to return it. So american jews should think about that also, not only about how to more money and property, leaving practicaly nothing for lithaunian jewish communities. 4. You have no right to say, that all lithuanians coloborated with nazi, just becouse few of them did so, and i'm shamed about that. Even if many of those lithuanians were forced to coloborate with nazi to save their families. Also much more lithuanians were hiding jewish people in their homes and saved many lives from death by risking their own lives. On the other hands, some jews coloborated woth soviets aith a free will and participated in killing and sending to gulags in Siberia hundreds of thousands lithuanians and thats a fact. Most of lithuanian coloborants with nazis were punished during soviet times, but those jewish coloborants with soviet regime, which to gether witn WW2 took 1/3 of lithuanians population are stil hiden in Israel and America or Russia. So you want justice - we want it too. Maby its time to start cooperate, not make confrontations, becouse jewish are not the only victim nation with big losts. 5. Procecutors want to talk with Yitzak Arad like with witness, not like a suspect in a case of civill's killings. Maby its time finaly to leave everything for the past and to start living in peace and repect?...
Just to bring some facts in: "Jews have lived in Lithuania for a millennium." Lithuania is due to celebrate it's millennium in 2009. The Jews were invited to Lithuania by the Grand Duke Vytautas in the beginning of XV-th century. "Vilna’s historic Jewish cemetery, for example, was hundreds of years old, but in the mid-19th century tsarist Russia built a military fort on the site" To be exact - the cemetery was closed back in 1817 and in 1831 the Jewish community has sold the land where the cemetery was to the Tsar's administration.