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Photo of the Seimas Office (author Olga Posaškova) |
Press release, 22 September 2015
Participants of the commemoration ceremony,
Witnesses of the tragic events,
Relatives of the victims,
Pine trees are whispering in dignity above our heads today. Just like every autumn, they bear witness to our living memory. This memory does not fade away. It will forever remain a painful scar not only in the history of Jews, but also in that of Lithuanians. Because the history of Lithuanian Jews and the memory of the Lithuanian Jews are part and parcel of the history of Lithuania. Generations of generations of Jews, just like these pine trees, have always been firmly rooted in the Lithuanian soil. And they respectfully referred to Vilnius, the capital city, as their Jerusalem of the North.
To forget, to delete or ignore these experiences would be the same as to justify the crimes committed. That is why we spare no effort to make the young Lithuanian generation aware of this page of history. The sufferings of the victims of the Jewish Holocaust must be known, understood and accepted as an integral part of our past, whereas the strength of those who survived must teach all and every one of us the lesson of human dignity.
While being here, we feel your severe pain and loss. We, Lithuanians, know all too well what it means to lose our home and all those we loved and what it means to become a despised and persecuted stranger doomed to deportation or death.
We recall with sorrow the victims of the Jewish Holocaust in Lithuania. Those condemned without guilt and exterminated without remorse. This day, however, is also an obligation for everyone who outlived their offenders and who lives in the country governed by the principles of freedom and democracy today. We must look towards the future with great responsibility and do everything to prevent the rampage of horror and death through any peaceful nation.
This will be the victory of hope, faith and life. And the most meaningful Memory in the name of those we lost.
Thank you.
