The Litvak Conference 2015 — Association of Jews of Vilna and vicinity in Israel

A joint conference of the three Litvak associations in Israel, in the presence of the president of Lithuanian, Ms. Dalia Grybauskaitė, the Foreign Minister of Lithuania, the ambassador of Lithuania to Israel and hundreds of Litvaks – including members of the Association – was held at Bet Hatfutzot (the Diaspora Museum) in Tel Aviv in October, 2015.

A photographic exhibition prepared by Dr. Carol Hoffman and Rosa Lita'i entitled Litvaks through the Camera was displayed at the conference.

An excerpt from Mickey Kantor's (Chairperson of the Association of Jews from Vilna and vicinity in Israel) speech:

 "While I was preparing my speech for this evening, in your honor, Ms. President and in honor of all the honored guests who have come from Lithuania and the four corners of Israel, I asked myself what was the main message that I would like you to take away from this memorable event here this evening.

Of all the topics and complexities of that illustrious community in Vilna and in Lithuania that we, the extended generations, have been dealing with in a voluntary capacity for so many years, which one would I like  you to remember above all?

Our Association in Israel was set up by those people who managed to survive the Living Hell and came here bearing the calamitous message that the Jews of 'Jerusalem in Lithuania' and the vicinity had been almost completely annihilated. A group of activists who had lived in Vilna got together in 1946 and set up the "Association of Residents of Vilna for Assistance and Rescue" that was intended to  help survivors and also to perpetuate the memory of the martyrs of the community and its longstanding  glorious cultural heritage.

Now, seventy years later, when nature has taken its course and the founding fathers are no longer with us, we are fulfilling their request to keep the eternal flame burning for what was their home which was destroyed in the mass willful display of horrific Anti-Semitism.

The veteran members of the Association whose belief in the goodness of man has always been strong, whose wisdom has not yet dissipated and whose responsibility continue, have always been here to support us, encourage us and strengthen our will to stay on the path we have chosen.

Being the second generation after the Holocaust implies that we were born into a capsule packed with ailments and physical pain, sadness over the loss of parents and relatives, the destruction of childhood and youth and beautiful memories as well as being exposed to the screams of the nightmares….

Being the second generation of Holocaust survivors means that, for many years, we absorbed these things into our young souls, internalized them as we were growing up, living, endeavoring not to show concern, not to hurt but to always aim to be a source of pride and joy….

We, the members of the Association, have chosen to remember and recall, here in Israel as well as in Lithuania, those relatives who were annihilated there: to learn the lesson of the Holocaust, not to forget and also not to allow it to be forgotten.

We have also chosen to learn about the people who lived, worked and studied there, raised families and sang to their children. The community's achievements in medicine, religion, literature, politics, science and philosophy, the daily life, the hospitals and prisons, the markets and everything that contributed to the spiritual and mental strength as evidenced during the difficult years, served as the basis for spiritual empowerment, great hope and trust.

Those are the materials that served as the infrastructure for the people who managed to survive and to create new lives wherever they finally landed. Not only was the memory of our six million fellow Jews, who were annihilated, inscribed in the foundations of the State of Israel but also the historical lessons that we must impress on the following generations in Israel, Lithuania and the rest of the world so that there will never be another Holocaust.

This important lesson is put to the test of humanity in the wake of the reality of the wave of terror that overwhelms us here amid threats to destroy the State of Israel.

Madam President, dear friends, these are the values that serve as a basis for creating trust and values of respect and tolerance in the spirit of current times in Israel.

That is the memory that I hope will remain with you after this meeting here.

I feel it is important to point out, with a deep sense of respect, that all the ambassadors of the Lithuanian Republic in Israel reflect their government's position admirably. They are open-minded and willing to learn together with us. They help us build new bridges and make strong connections for mutual recognition.

Thank you, Madam President and thanks to the members of your delegation and all our friends here tonight, for honoring us with your presence at this exciting meeting at Bet Hatefutzot in Tel Aviv.

I believe that we must all continue creating connections of learning, mutual respect and appreciation. They are the values that will bring our future generations closer together.

Let us decide together that it is our joint responsibility: to create a better and more tolerant world than the one experienced by our parents during that terrible war. It is up to us and it is possible."

The President of Lithuania refuses to leave the hall….