Meeting with the Israeli Ambassador focused on important anniversaries and cultural memory
Today, the Minister of Culture Šarūnas Birutis met with the Israeli Ambassador Hadas Wittenberg Silverstein. The meeting focused on important anniversaries, the perpetuation of cultural memory and preservation of the Jewish cultural heritage, and cultural cooperation between the two countries.
The Minister of Culture welcomed the fact that this year we are celebrating two important dates for Lithuania and its culture: the 150th anniversary of the birth of M. K. Čiurlionis and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Institute for Jewish Research (YIVO) in Vilnius. The meeting emphasised that the fact that it takes place on the occasion of the birthday of YIVO makes sense: on 24 March 1925, the scholars Max Weinreich and Zalmen Reisen convened a meeting. This day is considered as the official date of the foundation of the Institute. During the Second World War, the activities of YIVO were moved to New York, and the Institute is now actively cooperating with our country’s memory institutions. The Ambassador reiterated that various events have been planned for this anniversary, both in Lithuania and in Israel.
H. W. Silverstein noted that it is very important that the Jewish heritage and history in Lithuania are not forgotten. The active activities of the Vilna Gaon Museum of Jewish History, the wide range of initiatives to commemorate the Jewish culture in the country’s regions, and the current projects being implemented were welcomed and discussed.
The meeting also welcomed the establishment of the position of the Cultural Attaché of the Republic of Lithuania to the State of Israel in 2014, the success of the opera-performance “The Sun and the Sea” in this country, the publishing of contemporary and classic Israeli authors, and the promotion of Israeli cinema in Lithuanian regions.
Last updated: 22-04-2025