On 13th November Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania hosted a conference “Together towards a modern state: Lithuanian Jews in the history of statehood of Lithuania and Israel” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the modern Lithuania and the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel.
At the beginning of the event, the participants in great numbers from Lithuania and abroad were welcomed by the director of Martynas Mažvydas National Library prof. dr. Renaldas Gudauskas, Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius, Executive Director of the International Commission Ronaldas Račinskas, Ambassador of the State of Israel Amir Maimon and President of the Lithuanian Jewish Community Faina Kukliansky. The conference presented reports on Jewish and Lithuanian political cooperation, Jewish soldiers, who were fighting for Lithuanian independence, and problems related to the Jewish identity. The second part of the conference was dedicated to presentation of educational projects on the life of local Jewish communities in Lithuania before World War II. The implemented activities were presented by pupils from Tolerance Education Centers of Balbieriškis basic school, Jieznas, Darbėnai and Varėna Gymnasiums. Viktoras Pranckietis, Chairman of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, spent time talking with pupils and closed the conference.
The conference was organized by the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Israeli Embassy in Lithuania, the International Commission for the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania, Martynas Mažvydas National Library and the Lithuanian Jewish Community.
