Biržai Jewish Culture and History Society, Biržai Region Museum ‘Sėla’ and Biržai District Municipality invite everyone to visit Biržai Jewish history, culture and remembrance week events; on the most important event of this week – ceremony of honor of Jewish rescuers, memorial procession and unveiling of monumental complex for victims of the Holocaust in Pakamponys forest.
On 13th–14th June – events more devoted for guests visiting Biržai – Jewish nationality representatives coming from various countries and whose roots related with Biržai region. In the morning of June 13th guests participate in the tour (excursion) around Biržai, still remembering Jewish life, after that – meeting with students of Biržai district schools, whom they present Jewish culture, traditions and customs.
On 13th June, at 15.00, in Biržai Region Museum ‘Sėla’ – a conference dedicated to Jewish history.
At 17.30 – opening of the exhibition of etchings and cards collection ‘The living witness. Esther Lurie’ presented by the partners of the event – Chairman of Kaunas Jewish Religious Community Mauša Bairakas and exhibition curator Asia Gutermanaitė.
‘Everyone, interested in history, wishing to know nation lived for hundreds of years with us and written the history of our country together, is invited to these events,’ – said the Deputy of Director of Biržai Region Museum ‘Sėla’ Edita Lansbergienė.
On 14th June our guests visit the old Biržai Jewish cemetery, meeting with students of Gymnasium ‘Saulė’. On Friday evening, after a long break, Jewish Sabbath feast ‘is reborn’ in Biržai again. Due to the limited number of places, only the guests with invitations are invited.
On 16th June (on Sunday), the most important day – memorial event of Biržai Jewish-victims of the Holocaust: ceremony of honor of Jewish rescuers, memorial procession and unveiling of monumental complex for victims of the Holocaust in Pakamponys forest.
The event starts at 12.30 from planting trees for the memory of families rescued Jewish (in the territory of former Biržai Jewish Quarter (later- Ghetto); reference address – Žemaitės str. 22, Biržai). After trees planting ceremony, about 13.00 o’clock – Memorial procession to the memorial of Holocaust victims in Pakamponys forest. After procession – unveiling ceremony of the memorial for victims of the Holocaust.
There are recorded more than half of thousand of known victims’ names on the memorial. In 1941, in Pakamponys, Nazis and local collaborators propelled and shot to death about 2400 people, 900 of them were children. As 522 names are currently known, David’s stars mark the remembrance of unknown victims on more than 20 meters long memorial.
The initiators of the Birzai-Birzh project, Abel and Glenda Levitt, Kfar Sava, Israel, the leader of the project, Ben Rabinowitz, Cape Town, South Africa, architect, Dr. Joseph Rabie, Paris, France and our local partners and local people will be attending the ceremony together with participants from USA, South Africa, Israel, France and other countries as well as from Lithuania, whose roots are in Birzai and many of whom have family who lies in the mass grave, murdered by Nazis and local collaborators.
Many Jewish families coming to the events have donated their funds concerning the new memorial of Holocaust victims’ remembrance. Biržai citizens are also invited to contribute concerning the memorial. It is only the sixth place in Lithuania where names of Holocaust victims are perpetuated.
In the event it is expecting of honourable guests, supporting this event, visit Israeli, Japan, China and other countries Ambassadors to Lithuania, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, members of the Seimas and other guests. But people coming from Biržai are mostly welcomed at the remembrance events.
‘We‘re inviting people coming from Biržai and other Lithuanian people participate actively in the events of Biržai Jewish history and culture week, especially – in memorial procession to Pakamponys where victims of Holocaust are being honoured. Jewish people were an inseparable part of Biržai culture and history. It is citizens of our town who had met a painful and cruel fate… In 1941 Biržai lost part of it’s face. Events of the week of Biržai Jewish history, culture and remembrance, taking place in the middle of June 2019 – possibility to remember and respect properly the former residents of our region.’ – said Vytas Jareckas, the Mayor of Biržai District Municipality.