Memorial Day Navy Headquarters-2013 — Association of Jews of Vilna and vicinity in Israel

A joint ceremony of the seafaring vessels unit of the Navy and the Association on Holocaust Day 2013      by Zeev Leviatan

This is the second year in succession that the members of the Association, survivors and their extended families, as well as the Beit Vilna choir, have been invited to Navy headquarters to commemorate the Holocaust.

During the ceremony the members of the Association were seated opposite about 1,000 soldiers in their gleaming white uniforms. Survivors were invited to light the torches in memory of those who perished and the chairman of the Association, Mr. Michael Shemyavitz addressed the audience.

After the ceremony the members of the Association were invited to a moving reception in Brigadier-General Moshe Jena's office where both Brigadier-General Jena and Yaron Ben Simon spoke.

Later in the morning, the movie "Torn", the story of our friend, Yaakov Wexler, the Jewish priest, was shown.

About 60 officers of the unit participated in the ceremony that the Association held at the Kiryat Shaul cemetery alongside the monument to those who perished during the Holocaust from Vilna and the vicinity. Mr.Shemyavitz and the Lithuanian ambassador, Mr. Darius Degotis spoke at the thrilling ceremony which was marred by the fact that so few members of the Association attended.

I would like to take this opportunity to ask all the members of the Association to make an effort to attend the ceremony in the future to honor the memory of their families.