—
About 1,750 miles North-northeast of Jerusalem as the crow flies, lies a city Vilnius. Today it is the capital of Lithuania. This was once the heart of a vibrant Jewish community, birth place and burial ground of the Vilna Gaon, Chaya Odom and many other Jewish luminaries.Today this once thriving Jewish location, is the center of a raging controversy. The Lithuanian government has earmarked the Šnipiškės Jewish cemetery in Vilnius, for an International Conference Center. Human rights and Jewish organizations have rallied to protest the proposed desecration. In violation of the Geneva Convention, the EU charter of Fundamental Rights and contrary to Jewish law. It’s important to know thefacts.
Antisemitism today is on the rise. Journalists are questioning how this could impact the desecration of the Jewish cemetery in Vilnius.
“Considering the dangerous precedent in France a few days ago,” says Rabbi Baron. “That the Supreme Court said that if a person takes enough Cannabis then they can murder Jews, and get away with it.”
The Halimi case has sparked something in the French community and they are determined to put a stop to what is clearly rising antisemitism in France.
Rabbi Baron believes that despite assurances to the contrary, decisions which impact the broader Jewish community and cemetery are made unilaterally, absent from consultation with legitimate Jewish authorities.
Former Member of the Israeli Knsesst Anat Knafo believes, Knafo also believes that a stronger response is required from every Jew who is in a leadership position.
"What actually is at stake is one of the core values of Judaism,” says Rabbi Baron. One of the fundamental values of Jewish faith is that a person has a soul, that the the soul remains and the belief in techiat ha-meitim, resurrection.
"Because at the core of the Jewish people's respect for their cemeteries, is the respect for the Jewish souls that are buried there. This is a core tenet of Judaism. That is if a person does not believe in the immortality of the soul and life after death, he basically doesn't, subscribe to the Jewish faith. He may be Jewish by birth, but he doesn't believe in the Jewish faith. This concept is at the core of the Jewish Faith.
"I feel," says Rabbi Baron. "That the Lithuanian government completely does not understand this issue of the tourism and developing a Jewish Holy site. I have been to Europe to most major sites. I mean, I saw what the Czech government did with their Jewish sites and with their cemetery which is a tiny, it's less than a 10th of the size of Shnipishok. It has between one and I think, 2 million visitors a year. It's one of the top
tourist sites in all of Europe. It's one of the major tourist sites in Europe.
Lithuania has ushered in a new government. A government consisting of three dynamic leaders. Forward thinking leadership, that is viewed as being progressive with a higher level of sensitivity to Jewish law and cultural considerations. A change from the staunch Soviet authoritarianism of the past.
"We are extremely hopeful," says Rabbi Baron. "For the first time, the three top positions are women. Younger, more west leaning, less nationalistic. Just like they decided to, to put a moratorium on the funding for this project, for 2021, we're hoping that it will lead to real meaningful dialogue."
It's a new day in Lithuania, a new generation that carries the badge of reconciliation. Whether that badge is worn, will depend on how the authorities make the next move.
Contact Info:
Name: Saul Kemp
Email: Send Email
Organization: Bluenote Media
Address: 300 Park Ave, New York NY 10022
Phone: 310-907-7701
Website: https://www.savevilna.org/
Release ID: 89024972
Google
RSS