Speaker of the Seimas: ‘Let us remember it so it would never happen again!’

Press release, 21 September 2023 

Photo by Olga Posaškova, Office of the Seimas

 

On 21 September 2023, during its plenary sitting, the Seimas commemorated the 80th anniversary of the liquidation of the Vilna Ghetto. Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas, recalled the extraordinary history of Jews in Lithuania, which was built bit by bit over almost seven centuries and whose tragic end was marked by the Vilna Ghetto.

 

‘It was an ending without an end, as if making people wonder how it was possible for the efforts of almost 30 generations to be wiped out within just two years, a very short period of time in historical terms,’ Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen said.

 

According to the Speaker of the Seimas, the 700th anniversary of Vilnius and the 80th anniversary of the liquidation of the Vilna Ghetto marked this year are intrinsically interrelated.

Photo by Olga Posaškova, Office of the Seimas

 

‘Certainly, the rumour about a tolerant country reached the Jewish communities of Europe too, thus the letter of Grand Duke Gediminas, which mentioned the name of Vilnius for the first time, preconditioned the beginnings of the Jewish history in Lithuania,’ Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen said.

 

As stated by the Speaker of the Seimas, just over 50 years later, the privileges granted to Jews by Grand Duke Vytautas and his successors consolidated the autonomy of Jews, guaranteed them legal protection of the state, and facilitated the opportunities for them to participate in the economic life of the country.

 

‘Jews became a force to be reckoned with, boosting the economy and developing the crafts and trade of Lithuanian towns and villages. Vilnius, which came to be known as the Jerusalem of the North, attracted the intellectual and spiritual luminaries of the Jewish tradition. This is even reflected in a well-known saying that goes, “For earnings go to Warsaw, but for wisdom go to Vilnius”. In the territory of historical Lithuania, a distinctive type of Jews, i.e. Litvaks, characterised by a certain worldview and a peculiar way of thinking, was starting to evolve,’ Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen said in the commemoration.

 

In the 18th century, the Lithuanian Jews experienced a spiritual revival. Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, widely known as the Vilna Gaon, became one of its signs.

 

‘The Vilna Gaon was the founding father of Judaism of the Lithuanian Jews or Litvaks, which continues to have a major influence in Israel today. It is no coincidence that the Seimas has designated the year 2020 as the Year of the Vilna Gaon and the History of the Jews of Lithuania,’ Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen said.

 

The Speaker of the Seimas also observed a unique case in the interwar Europe of ministers without portfolios for Jewish affairs working in the Lithuanian governments since the declaration of independence in 1918 until 1924. The ministers were looking after not only the affairs of their compatriots, but also foreign affairs, taxation, social benefits, and education, thus making an impact on the general policy of Lithuania.

 

‘After the Nazis entered Lithuania and the Jews became exposed to the mortal danger unprecedented in the history of almost 700 years, the first minister for Jewish affairs, Jokūbas Vygodskis, then an 84-year-old doctor, member of the Vilnius City Council, and Chairman of the Jewish Community, tried to negotiate with the German administration but was thrown in jail. His wife died in the Vilna Ghetto, along with almost 60,000 other Jews of Vilnius.

 

It was the end of a part of history which gave rise to a new chapter of history, that of remembrance, calling for composure, respect, empathy, and understanding. Remembrance cannot bring back the previous life full of energy, vitality, dreams, and ideals. But it can make this life more conscious, meaningful, and more just. Let us remember it so it would never happen again!’ Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen said.

 

Ilona Petrovė, Spokesperson for Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 239 6030, mob. +370 698 42071, e-mail: [email protected], www.lrs.lt