Long before establishment of The International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27 Lithuania in 1994 by the decision of the Seimas (Parliament) proclaimed September 23 as The National Holocaust Victims Remembrance Day (the date of liquidation of Vilnius ghetto under Nazi occupation in 1943). During these years a tradition was established that major national commemoration events take place on this date. Beside that in order to show respect to the memory of the Holocaust victims in Lithuania and worldwide the commemoration of January 27 was promoted by the International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania. Since first initiative five years ago the idea grew-up into a tradition to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day in school communities.
This year The International Holocaust Remembrance Day in Lithuania will be marked by major national conference for educators in Radviliškis Vaižgantas Basic School. The Tolerance Education Centre established in this school together with International Historical Commission organizes this conference for teams of students and teachers from Tolerance and Holocaust Education Centres established in Lithuania. Representatives from 7 different districts of Lithuania and 12 Tolerance Education Centres will take part in the conference and share their experience. Participants will present their activities and at the same time gain new ideas for further work. During the conference teachers and students will take part in team work: they will create various posters and ideas of monument dedicated to commemorate Holocaust victims. The coordinators of the conference expect that the conference and teamwork will serve as a constructive background to share experience, and contribute to prevention of intolerance, antisemitism and xenophobia. The conference will be closed by the performance „Benjamin‘s journey“ conducted by the students of Kaunas distr. Garliava Jonučiai Secondary School Tolerance Education Centre. The performance is about young Jew Benjamin and his journey to search for the purpose of life and happiness.
Other commemorative events of January 27 will take place in Tolerance Education Canters around Lithuania. The commemoration events have different forms: special dedicated lessons, meetings of school community, movie reviews, photo and painting exhibitions, lessons at the museums or places connected with the Holocaust. This year commemorations of January 27 will be held in 34 schools in 15 cities of Lithuania.
