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Zionism's 120Th Birthday 7 Dr. Adolf Bolotin: the LJC Needs

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Zionism's 120Th Birthday 7 Dr. Adolf Bolotin: the LJC Needs No. 1 2018 • No. 2 5778 DISCOVER – GET TO KNOW – ACCEPT Zionism's 120th Birthday 7 Dr. Adolf Bolotin: The LJC Needs a Council of Elders 10 The Story of the Family of Jokūbas Kisinas 12 The Jews of Pasvalys 15 Neta Alon, the Most Remarkable LJC Athlete 18 In the Diary - the Reality of Vilnius Ghetto 19 ISSN 2424-4759 Editor’s Corner Dear readers, We present a number of interviews in this colorful spring issue of the Bagel Shop. Lithuanian Jewish Community member professor Adolfas Bolotinas speaks about the situation inside the Lithuanian Jewish Community and his academic career. Eugenijus Simonas Kisinas presents biographical essay “We are the Kisinas” and hopes to find lost family members in the USA and Russia. We mark the anniversary of Zionism. We revel in the victories of the table tennis athlete Neta Alon. We mourn the loss of the talents of Yitzhak Rudashevski in the pits of Ponar. We remember the Jews of Pasvalys. We present a Jewish heritage tourist itinerary in Palanga. We hope you will find this an interesting read. As always, we invite you to send us your thoughts and suggestions for the next issue. Write an email to [email protected] Radvilė and Zina NEWS ROUND-UP October For the first time since the restoration of Lithu- End of October Thomas Yazdgerdi, US State Department anian independence the Lithuanian Makabi Chess Club special envoy on Holocaust issues, visited the LJC and dis- competed in the European Club Chess Championship in cussed problems and progress in Holocaust commemora- Turkey. They won three and lost four. Makabi took 22nd tion in Lithuania and the tasks the LJC has set for itself place among the 36 national teams competing. and the state in appropriately commemorating Holocaust victims, as well as restitution issues. October 15 First Makabi Fun Run held at Vingis Park in Vilnius with a number of jogging enthusiasts participat- November 9 Presentation of book about Dmitri Gelpern ing, including Makabi Lithuanian Athletics Club mem- called “Iš pirmųjų lūpų” at the LJC. Book compiler Dr. Lara bers from Kaunas and Vilnius, students from the Sholem Lempert, Ilona Murauskaitė, Danutė Selčinskaja and Fan- Aleichem ORT Gymnasium, running enthusiasts from the ia Brancovskaja spoke. Famous Lithuanian photographer Inžinerija, Stajeris and Sigma sports clubs, members of the Antanas Sutkus and violinist Boris Traub participated. Lithuanian Soccer Referees Association and others. November 9 LJC held international conference Remem- October 20 Lithuanian Jewish Community calendar fea- brance, Responsibility, the Future to mark the international turing Righteous Gentiles wins the Laurynas Ivinskis prize day against fascism and anti-Semitism. The event was part for best calendar of the year at a ceremony in Kuršėnai. Maša Grodnikienė came up with the idea for the calendar, Danutė Selčinskaja compiled the texts, Jūratė Juozėnienė designed it and Jovita Stundžaitė and Geoff Vasil edited the Lithuanian and English versions. October 27 Stele unveiled to commemorate Righteous Gentile Marija Rusteikaitė, the founder of the Congrega- tion of the Sisters of the Love of God, a public figure, med- ical technician and teacher, at the corner of Jurgio Tilvyčio and Krekenavos streets in Panevėžys. October 28 Chess tournament held at the Lithuanian Jewish Community to commemorate Vilhelmas Šteinicas, tournament on November 19 to commemorate Algimantas Butnoris, on December 21 in honor of Emanuelis Laskeris. Righteous Gentile Marija Rusteikaitė commemorated in Panevėžys 2 of the project Preparation and Publication of Recommen- dations for Actions to Fight Anti-Semitism and Romopho- bia in Lithuania which was supported by the EVZ founda- tion (Erinnerung, Verantwortung, Zukunft) in Germany and the Goodwill Foundation. November 11-14 The Raudondvaris Castle in the Kau- nas region was the venue for the international conference “Self-Respect and Civil Bravery of the Lithuanian Nation in Diplomatic Documents in Nazi-Occupied Lithuania during World War II”, dedicated to a memorandum by Lithuanian president Kazys Grinius and Lithuanian government minis- ters Pranas Aleksas and Mykolas Krupavičius 75 years ago. On November 14, 1942, this memo was presented to Theo- dor von Renteln, the Nazi commandant of Kaunas. Histori- ans sometimes call it the Memorandum of the Three. They Israeli ambassador Amir Maimon was honored with the Ethnic Minorities protested the colonization of Lithuania, the seizure of prop- Department's Great Honor Mark “For Merit” erty from Polish and Lithuanian farmers and the mass mur- November 16 To mark International Tolerance Day the der of Jews and people of other ethnicities. Lithuanian parliament hosted an event to award people for November 12 The Lithuanian National Drama Theater making important contributions in uniting multicultural hosted the literary festival "Leaves of Vilnius" and invited Lithuania and creating a discrimination-free environment. the public to “Lunch with Amos Oz.” Reporter Donatas The event was organized by the Ethnic Minorities Depart- Puslys and literature expert Dr. Mindaugas Kvietkauskas ment to the Government of Lithuania and was sponsored interviewed the writer in a direct link to Tel Aviv. by parliamentary speaker Viktoras Pranckietis. November 13 The Ethnic Minorities Department under November 16 The LJC hosted a meeting with master vio- the Governmnet of the Republic of Lithuania named the linist Eugenijus Paulauskas, one of the most famous violin- winners of their Prize for Cross-Cultural Dialogue. Report- ists in Lithuania who has performed over 1,000 concerts in er and editor Vitalijus Karakorskis was recognized for his Europe and America. Paulauskas was awarded the Order originality and surprising discoveries of common ground of Grand Duke Gediminas and the National Prize as well among the ethnicities living in Lithuania in the Lithuanian as being recognized as an important Lithuanian figure and Public Radio and Television program Menora, specifically artist contributor to Lithuanian culture. in the episode about Dr. Jonas Basanavičius and Lithuani- November 16 Samuel Bak museum opened in Vilnius, one an Jews. The reporter and television editor Siarhejus Hau- of the sections of the Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum. rylenka was recognized for the exceptional attention paid This is the only museum in the world wholly devoted to to the culture of Lithuanian ethnic minorities and the Be- the works of this Litvak painter. larusian language in the the Lithuanian Public Radio and Television television series “Kultūrų kryžkelė. Vilniaus są- November 21 The Lithuanian Consulate in Chicago siuvinis” [Crossroads of Cultures: The Vilnius Notebook]. opened an exhibit called “One Century out of Seven: Lith- uania, Lite, Lita” at the Chicago Cultural Center. The exhib- November 14 Ina Pukelytė, a lecturer at the Theater Studies it spans Litvak history from the time of first settlement in Cathedral of the Arts Faculty of Vytautas Magnus Universi- the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 14th century to today. ty spoke about the significance of Jewish theater for Lithua- nian culture in her lecture “Jewish Theater: The Facebook of November 22 Book launched in Panevėžys, “Holokaustas the Interwar Period” at the State Drama Theater in Kaunas. nacių okupuotose Rytų ir Vakarų Europos valstybėse: tyr- She recently published book called “Žydų teatras tarpukario imai ir atmintis” [The Holocaust in Nazi-Occupied States Lietuvoje” [Jewish Theater in Interwar Lithuania]. of Eastern and Western Europe: Research and Memory]. November 15-December 31 The Old Town Hall section November 23 Jakov Bunka Fund director Daumantas Le- of the Kaunas City Museum held an exhibit on Ludvik vas Todesas held a private screening of the film “Aš turiu pa- Zamenhof, aka Dr. Esperanto. The exhibit then moved to pasakoti” [I Must Tell] at the LJC. The film is a testimony by the Vaclovas Biržiška Library at Vytautas Magnus Uni- Maša Rolnikaitė (1927–2016) telling of her nightmarish ex- versity. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and perience in the Vilnius ghetto and at the Strazdamuiža (aka Cultural Organization UNESCO named 2017 the Year of Strasdenhof, a satellite of Kaiserwald concentration camp Zamenhof, the inventor of the language Esperanto. in Riga, Latvia) and Stutthof (Poland) concentration camps. 3 November 28 The Bagel Shop Café and the Israeli embas- January 14-28 The art gallery of the Šiauliai district Pov- sy to Lithuania presented Jewish treats at the traditional ilas Višinskis Public Library hosted an exhibit by the Sav- Christmas charity fair at Vilnius Old Town Hall. ickas Art School to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the restoration of the Šiauliai Jewish Community. November 29 Grigori Kanovitch’s latest autobiographical book “Shtetl Love Song” launched at the Central Syna- January 17 The leader of and a delegation from the Amer- gogue in London. ican Jewish Committee (AJC) ended a two-day visit to Lithuania. The delegation headed AJC CEO David Har- November 29 The Saulėtekis school in Vilnius staged “Lit- ry met with speaker of parliament Viktoras Pranckietis, vaks: A 900-Year Story” at the Russian Drama Theater in foreign minister Linas Linkevičius, US ambassador Anne Vilnius. Hall, Israeli embassy chief of mission Efrat Hochstetler November 29-30 The Lithuanian embassy and the Univer- and with the chairwoman of AJC’s partner the LJC, Faina sity College of London invited the public to Litvak Days in Kukliansky. London. A regular event, this seventh in the series show- January 18 The Vincas Kudirka Public Libary in Kaunas cased Litvak artists who have achieved global art fame. hosted an evening to celebrate the 210th anniversary of the November 30 Exhibit of miniatures by Valius Staknys birth of the father of the modern Hebrew novel, Abraham called “Letters” opened at LJC. Mapu, who was born and raised in Kaunas. November 30 The Sugihara House museum in Kaunas opened an exhibition by the Swedish Institute called “I Didn’t Have Another Choice” about Swedish diplomat, businessman and architect Raoul Wallenberg. Wallenberg issued Swedish passports to Hungarian Jews in Budapest in 1944 showing residency in Sweden.
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