News

On 8 October 2013, the commemoration event, dedicated to the memory of Lithuanian Jews murdered in the Holocaust and to commemorate the 70 years since the liquidation of the Vilnius Ghetto, took place in Tel Aviv, at the Beit Hatfutsot – the Museum of the Jewish People.

On behalf of the Government of Lithuania, the Deputy Minister of Culture Darius Mažintas paid tribute to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust, noting the importance of these painful and tragic pages for Lithuania, for the country's people, and for their efforts in building the future. Darius Mažintas informed about the Lithuanian Government’s continuous efforts to preserve the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and to maintain the Lithuanian Jewish history and cultural heritage. This year, the Lithuanian Parliament declared the memorial year of the Vilnius Ghetto. Darius Mažintas briefed the audience about the actions of the Government of Lithuania in order to pay tribute to the memory of the Lithuanian Jewish community. Also, the Deputy Minister presented the program of the Vilnius Ghetto memorial year, the Fourth World Litvak Congress which took place on September 22-25, 2013, and the other commemoration events of the Vilnius Ghetto in Lithuania.

During the event, a Canadian Lithuanian writer, professor of the University of Missouri,  Julija Šukys presented her book written about a librarian Ona Šimaitė who rescued numerous Jews  from the Vilnius Ghetto during the Holocaust. Although the exact number of the people rescued by the legendary librarian Ona Šimaitė is unknown, her name is associated with humanity and respect for humanistic values. The acts of Ona Šimaitė, her courage and self-sacrifice was evaluated at the Yad Vashem by naming her Righteous among the Nations.

During the event, Darius Mažintas and Rafailas Karpis performed a musical project of yiddish songs „A Letter from the Past“ that reflects the rich cultural and artistic life of the pre-war Lithuanian Jewish community.