
COMBATING ANTISEMITISM
AND FOSTERING JEWISH LIFE
GOALS
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Facilitating the preservation of Jewish heritage and culture,
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Holocaust Remembrance
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Promoting Jewish life, culture and history,
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Educating and enshrining the experiences of our Jewish past,
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Restoring, preserving and protecting Jewish landmarks cemeteries and places of importance to Jewish Heritage,
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Promoting engagement and interaction between different Jewish communities in Europe,
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Combating antisemitic speech and hate crimes, online and offline.

THE SNIPISKES JEWISH CEMETERY IN VILNA, IS THE BURIAL GROUND OF THOUSANDS OF TORAH GIANTS FROM PREVIOUS GENERATIONS

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Vilna Gaon
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Rabbi Avraham Danzig (Chayei Adam)
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Rabbi Moshe Rivkes (Be’er Hagolah)
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Thousands of Torah Sages (Review List)
* Following WW II, and the onset of the Soviet occupation, the Vilna Gaon was moved to another cemetery.
STAY UPDATED
The Vilnius City Council has denied the international Jewish community the right to restore desecrated graves.
"One of the highest moral callings is respect for the dead."
~ Malcolm Hoenlein
Executive Vice Chair: Conference of Presidents

THE INTERNATIONAL JEWISH COMMUNITY URGES LITHUANIAN AUTHORITIES TO PERMIT RESTORATION OF THE CEMETERY, UNDER SUPERVISION OF A LEGITIMATE RABBINICAL AUTHORITY.
All Rabbinical matters in Europe, currently
fall under the jurisdiction of the
Conference of European Rabbis (CER)
An application to the Vilnius City Council to build a fence and designate an area on the cemetery for prayer, was declined.


SEE WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY:
Professor Irwin Cotler
The Special Envoy for Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism and a former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Professor Alan Dershowitz
International lawyer, an emeritus Harvard Law School professor known for his work in constitutional law

LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL JEWISH COMMUNITIES SUPPORT THE NEED TO RESTORE AND PROTECT JEWISH CEMETERIES, AS DETERMINED BY JEWISH LAW.
Colorized image of original cemetery
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DENYING RESTORATION OF TOMBSTONES
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REFUSING PERMISSION TO ERECT A PROTECTION FENCE
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NOT ALLOWING PRAYER
CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOM OF RELIGION

It also constitutes a violation of
Seimas Resolution No. XIV-542:
Calling for municipalities to:
"Put Jewish cemeteries in order."

THE SNIPISKES CEMETERY WAS DESECRATED DURING THE SOVIET ERA, POST WORLD WAR II.
THE INTERNATIONAL JEWISH COMMUNITY,
IN COLLABORATION WITH LITHUANIAN COMMUNITIES, WISHES TO RESTORE THE SNIPISKES CEMETERY.
Planned Gate to Snipiskes Jewish Cemetery
The plan is not a hard closed proposal. It is intended to stimulate further discussion, relating to issues driving a future vision for the Jewish cemetery."
Features:
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Restoration of Desecrated Graves.
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Protective Fence.
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Designated Areas for Prayer.
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Educational Theme.
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Educational Exhibits on border fence of cemetery, in compliance with Jewish law.
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Legitimate Rabbinical Authority to Supervise Restoration.
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Map of Geographical Location of Mass Graves.
* In compliance with Jewish law and culture, the cemetery and the Sports Palace cannot be used for any purpose other than as a resting place for the deceased.
Other European capitals have
successfully restored Jewish cemeteries:
CEMETERY RESTORATION
CASE STUDIES
A vibrant Jewish tourist industry
is the consequence:
NUMBER OF TOURISTS TO JEWISH SITES (ANNUALLY)

721,000

553,000**
POLAND

656,500

247,000
UKRAINE
* Statistics reflect numbers prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
** Excludes visitors Auschwitz
€1.5 Billion
Benefit to
Lithuanian Economy
Restored Cemetery has significant benefits, from Heritage Tourism.

REFUSING PERMISSION to RESTORE AND PROTECT THE CEMETERY, constitutes A VIOLATION OF LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL LAWS
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Violation of 2008 U.S. Senate Resolution
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Violation of a 2009 Agreement
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Violation of 2012 European Council Parliamentary Assembly Resolution 1883 (2012)
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Violation of 2014 U.S. Protect Cemeteries Act (H.R. 4028)
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Violation of Lithuanian Constitution (Articles 22 & 26)
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Violation of Lithuanian Law on Protection of Immovable Cultural Heritage
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Violation of the UN Convention on Civil and Political Rights (Article 18)
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Violation of Seimas Resolution 10 December 2020 No XIV-65 Vilnius
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Violation of European Parliament Resolution of 1 June 2017 on Combating Antisemitism
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Violation of 2021 Seimas Resolution No. XIV-542 on the Remembrance of the Holocaust