Educational Projects in Lithuania

An email from Abel and Glenda Levitt

K’far Sava, Israel

Dear Birzaim,

The below e-mail and attachments were received today from Ingrida Vilkiene of Vilnius. Ingrida, the lady who introduced us to Birzai, heads the Kommisja’s educational projects. The Kommisija is a Lithuanian government body entrusted with the teaching of the Holocaust and the expulsion of Lithuanians to Siberia.

We have known Ingrida for many years and respect her for the quality of her work and her commitment to Holocaust Education in Lithuania..

Look carefully at the attachments, and read Ingrida’s comments about her programmes. The art work done by young Lithuanians who learn about the Jewish past, including their lives in towns and villages before the period of mass murder, is  of an extraordinary level, and the students and their teachers deserve much credit.

Try to share this mail plus attachments with family and friends so that they too may learn to appreciate the work of Tolerance Education in Lithuania.

We would appreciate your thoughts and comments, and your passing this on to family and friends around the world

Regards

Abel & Glenda Levitt

Dear Glenda and Abel,

I hope that you are well. I know that you follow about the situation in Lithuania and also, I think that you sometimes check our website and you know – what we do.

Now about the situation in Lithuania. At this moment – everything is connected with coronavirus and it isn’t funny, because today in Governmental building people said that all workers must be prepared to work from house, all conferences, commemorational and cultural events must be postponed.

I postponed all our activities in March – 2 seminars and one huge events, which is the final event of our project: https://www.komisija.lt/en/renginiai/getting-to-know-the-jewish-cultural-heritage/

It is the project about Jewish history, culture and students sent to us drawings. 2 days ago I was in Kedainiai (we prepared the exhibition), but the final event, which was planned on 27th of March, we postponed 2 days ago also. Now we have plan to organize it on 24th of April, but we will see – how it be with this coronavirus. I added to this e-mail some drawings – just for your interest. Please, look especially it is for Glenda, because you are very close connected with art.

Also, we had plan to participate in the March of the Living in Poland. Almost everything was planned for that (I booked bus, hotels, I had teachers and students who were prepared for participation). Today I postponed it, because I got the information, that officially this event is postponed and the organizers have plan to make it on 22 of July (the date of liquidation of Warsaw Ghetto or 9 -10 November – the date of Kristallnight (in 1938). So, we will see, what happens in the future, but of course, our plan to visit with teachers and students Poland is still exists.

So, I added some drawings from this project to this e-mail.

Regards from Vilnius and take care.

Ingrida Vilkiene

KehilaLinks

KehilaLinks

Lithuania Alita (Alytus) Aran (Varena) Balbieriškis Birzh (Birzai) Druskieniki (Druskininkai) Keidan (Kedainiai) Kibart (Kybartai) Kopcheve (Kapciamiestis)  Koshedar (Kaisiadorys) Mariampol (M…

Source: elirab.me/kehila

 

Building Bridges with the TECs in Lithuania

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Here is my update on the TECs – Tolerance Education Centres in Lithuania and how we can help build bridges.

If you know the name of your shtetl, please contact me and I will help you to connect with those who are working with TECs and Lithuanian school students and their teachers. Travelling to the region and meeting with local students has been the most rewarding of my experiences in the past six years.

There are growing numbers of Lithuanians, Poles and those within other communities in the FSU who now learn about their history and about the rich Jewish life that once existed in these towns, which are now devoid of Jews. The internet now offers the best opportunity ever for them to engage with Jewish people from abroad.

There is a further benefit: we can educate our children and grandchildren here in the Litvak diaspora. So little seems to be availble within the school curriculum, even though private Jewish Day School fees are so high.  “Too hard” or “we are covering it” is what I hear! And then there is also the no response…… and another year passes!

It is a real shame that our cultural heritage is in danger of fading away and dying!

Educating about our Jewish cultural history remains my passion and I hope and that there are enough of us out there to make a difference!

 

There are now 119 Tolerance Education Centres in Lithuania.

Here is the list:

TEC Institutions In Lithuania

Here is an example of three of these projects and how visitors to Lithuania can engage teachers and students involved in these projects.

TEC Institutions’ Projects

 

TEC News From Lithuania

 

Herzlia – Atzalyno Bridges

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