Memorial Day Navy Headquarters 2017 — Association of Jews of Vilna and vicinity in Israel

The Navy and Us  written By Shoshana Reshef

What a wonderful sight it was to see hundreds of good-looking young men and women, proudly standing there in their white and khaki uniforms decorated with the gold symbol of the navy.

We all took part in the thrilling ceremony to mark Holocaust Memorial Day: the Navy and us, the last remnants of that generation, together with our second and third generations; there was even a grandmother supported by her granddaughter sitting opposite the burning torch in memory of the six million who perished.

I don’t think there is anywhere else in the Jewish world where you could see such a scene; no other place on earth can preserve the memory of the Holocaust like Israel can. So, yes, here we are and, as greater minds than mine have said: "This is our insurance policy and theirs."

After the ceremony Brigadier General Gadi Shavit, Deputy Commander of the Navy spoke about the complexities of our situation, naval empowerment and the increase of terrorism around us. But he was also encouraging, saying: "We are not suckers." We are getting stronger and on guard all the time; thanks to modern technology we can identify dangers and block terror from the sea. He concluded his brilliant lecture commenting that the Navy is one of the most important deterrent forces in the country, undertaking many heroic missions. What a sense of pride to belong to the family of the Navy!

Michael Shemyavitz, chairman of the Association, presented Gadi with a copy of his book The Chronicles of Michael and thanked him warmly for arranging the meeting; in return, Gadi thanked the Association for the privilege granted him and presented Michael with a bronze model of a seafaring vessel of the navy.

Zeev Livyatan, who was responsible for initiating the connection between the Association and the Navy, wound up the meeting. He talked about his parents who were Holocaust survivors, originally from Ingalino how he thought of the idea of the connection five years ago and what a successful match it has turned out to be. He concluded by saying: "We are privileged to have a warm, loving relationship with you and I only hope and pray it will continue."

Later in the day, a large crowd gathered by the monument for the martyrs of Ponary at the Kiryat Shaul cemetery for a moving memorial event for the members of the community of Vilna and the surrounding townships who perished in the Holocaust. Many survivors and their extended families, together with the Lithuanian ambassador to Israel and his deputy and the cultural and economic attaches as well as visitors from the USA and Germany participated; girls from a religious high school in Tel Aviv, members of the community of Schwenzian and dozens of officers and soldiers from the adopted naval unit also attended. Michael Shemyavitz, honorary chairman of the Association, Edminas Bagdonas, Lithuanian ambassador to Israel, Mickey Kantor, chairperson of the Association and Efrat Pinhas Druker, a third-generation survivor addressed the audience. Esther Kantarowitz read the names of the members of her family who perished in the Vilna Ghetto, Rabbi Shaul Farber said Kaddish and El malei rahamim. Mulla Ben Zvi conducted the ceremony with a great deal of sensitivity.