LITHUANIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S. INVITES TO ORGANIZE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON JEWISH GENEALOGY IN LITHUANIA
On 17 August at the International Conference on Jewish Genealogy in Washington Lithuanian Ambassador to the U.S. Žygimantas Pavilionis delivered a presentation "The Importance of Jewish Heritage to the History of Lithuania", and invited to organize the future conference in Vilnius. Ž.Pavilionis noted that after the times of great losses Lithuania was re-discovering its cultural heritage and identity of the state. "It is impossible to draw strength from the past of Lithuania, without taking care to resurrect from the ashes and oblivion the treasures of Lithuanian integral cultural and historical heritage, which were burned by the Nazis in the Holocaust, devastated by the Soviets or local anti-Semites," the Ambassador said.
Ž.Pavilionis reminded participants of the conference that Lithuanian Parliament declared the year 2011 as the Year of Remembrance for the Victims of the Holocaust in Lithuania, and presented the program of this year implemented by Lithuanian Government."Particular attention is paid to educational projects. Lithuanian Government aims to encourage the younger generation to learn from the painful history of the past, to ensure that it never happens again," the Ambassador noted.
He expressed belief that a law on compensation to Jews for property confiscated by totalitarian regimes adopted this summer opened up new prospects of Lithuanian-Jewish cooperation.
Ž.Pavilionis informed that this issue will be addressed by representatives of the largest American Jewish organizations at a round table discussion which is to take place at the Lithuanian Embassy in Washington in the middle of September. It is hoped that this event will be attended by delegation of Lithuanian high-level officials.
Conference on Jewish Genealogy is organized yearly by International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies uniting more than 75 societies around the world. Each year the conference takes place in a different city. The conference in Washington was attended by about 1,200 participants.
