Press release, 24 September 2013
The solemn sitting to mark the 70th anniversary of the liquidation of the Vilnius Ghetto took place at the Seimas today. The meeting was addressed by Vydas Gedvilas, Speaker of the Seimas; Faina Kukliansky, Chair of the Lithuanian Jewish Community; Fania Brancovskaja, Markas Petuchauskas and Simon Malkes, former prisoners of Vilnius ghetto; Emanuelis Zingeris, Member of the Seimas and Signatory to the Act of Independence; Ronaldas Račinskas, Executive Director of the International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania; Dr Arūnas Bubnys, Director of the Genocide and Resistance Research Department of the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre, and others. The sitting was chaired by Petras Auštrevičius, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas.
Vydas Gedvilas stressed that as we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the liquidation of the Vilnius Ghetto lessons of our painful history are not and will not be forgotten. “It is not in our power to reverse the past, thus we must not only look back, but look forward too. Look towards the present and still more importantly towards the future. We must know the past to be able to create the future without the slightest possibility for the horrors of the past to return. It is not me who has come up with this idea. These are the words of H. E. Shimon Peres, President of Israel, said during his visit to Lithuania about a month ago. The President brought this message – let us remember the past, but not live in the past. Let us remember the past to be able to create the future,” the Speaker of the Seimas said. In Mr Gedvilas opinion, we must now preserve the historical memory of the Holocaust, to remember and respect the victims of the genocide of the Jews and to educate the young generation. “We must not tolerate sporadic manifestations of anti-Semitism which unfortunately no democratic country can fully prevent. A strong response to anti-Semitism must be given first and foremost by the politicians and a legal response must be given too to anti-Semitism, and other hatred and intolerance-inciting manifestations,” Speaker of the Seimas said.
Faina Kukliansky expressed satisfaction that the Jewish issues are now becoming issues of Lithuania too. She noted that despite complex relations between the Jews and the Lithuanians the visit of President Peres strengthened the ties between Israel and Lithuania and gave a new stimulus to the Jewish-Lithuanian relations. Ms Kukliansky invited all to show greater interest in the Jewish history and culture and get to know each other better.
Emanuelis Zingeris talked about the revival and preservation of the Jewish cultural assets and heritage. “We will try to render the truth in an authentic way about the collaboration with the Nazis, the fact that 94 per cent of the Lithuanian Jews died, the saviours and cooperation with the Jewish academic community aimed at returning at least a part of the Jewish heritage to Lithuania,” said Mr Zingeris.
Fania Brancovskaja, Markas Petuchauskas and Simon Malkes shared painful experiences of their families. Petuchauskas emphasised spiritual resistance of the ghetto in the form of the theatre which became the centre of spiritual resistance and a symbol of resistance against the Nazis. Malkes noted that the Jewish people suffered not only from the Nazi, but also from the Soviet aggression.
Ronaldas Račinskas quoted the words by Marija Rolnikaitė, former prisoner of the ghetto, that she said twenty years ago about the victims of the genocide: “<...> never forget that their lives were taken away by hatred of the people for the people. Resist this hatred no matter what manifestations it may have or what justifications it may provide so that we could not have to mark such anniversaries ever again...” In Mr Račinskas opinion, in nowadays world, including Lithuania, new manifestations of political extremism, ethnic hatred, xenophobia and anti-Semitism can be observed. He also raised the question how modern Lithuanians who live in the land soaked with blood of tens and hundreds of thousands of murdered compatriots could become more hatred-resistant. Mr Račinskas believes that Lithuania should educate and teach its young generation to be tolerant and respect common human values; that is the way to create the modern Lithuania.
Dr Arūnas Bubnys reminded the participants of the event of the story of the Vilnius Ghetto. He said that not all prisoners of the ghetto reconciled with their tragic fate and tried to resist the Nazi invaders and collaborationists in every possible way.
After the solemn sitting Petras Auštrevičius, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas, laid flowers on behalf of the Seimas on the grave of Stefanija Ladigienė, Righteous among the Nations and Member of the third Seimas, at Saltoniškių cemetery in Vilnius. In tribute to the memory of the Member of the Seimas, flowers were also laid on the grave of Jonas and Stanislava Ruzgiai, Righteous among the Nations.
Rimas Rudaitis, Public Relations Unit, tel. +370 5 239 6132, e-mail: [email protected]
