On the 8th of November, there was a meeting of a group of teachers and education workers with Dani Dayan, the new director of Yad Vashem, and Hadas Wittenberg Silverstein, the Israeli ambassador to Lithuania.
The meeting of the teachers who took part in the internship at Yad Vashem, the representatives of Yad Vashem, and the employees of the Embassy of Israel in Lithuania was held at the Vilna Gaon Jewish History Museum. At first, the audience was addressed by Richelle Budd-Caplan, head of the Department of International Relations and International Projects at Yad Vashem. She reached out to teachers who participated in the training of Yad Vashem – International Holocaust Studies to share their thoughts on the meaning and benefits of the internship and training. The new director of Yad Vashem, Dani Dayan, emphasized that education is a vital priority matter for Yad Vashem. Ramūnas Skaudžius, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, and Sport, who participated in the meeting, emphasized that education about the Holocaust is important for the Ministry and the entire Lithuanian society. Emanuelis Zingeris, the chairman of the International Commission, expressed hope that the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport will take into account the opinion of the experts from the International Commission when adjusting the educational programs, i.e., what topics should be included, what issues should be discussed and what issues should be addressed.
Ronaldas Račinskas, executive director of the International Commission, reminded the audience about the cooperation between the International Commission and Yad Vashem, which began twenty years ago. Since 2003, 362 teachers and education workers have participated in internships at Yad Vashem International School. According to Ronald Račinskas, “it is also important that a group of Kaunas County politicians and Lithuanian journalists would participate in the seminars in Jerusalem.”
The Israeli Ambassador to Lithuania, Hadas Wittenberg Silverstein, who participated in the meeting, spoke about the possibilities of cooperation with educational institutions in Lithuania and organizing various projects. The Embassy of Israel presented all the teachers with Leah Goldberg’s book “A Flat for Rent,” published for the first time in Lithuanian, and an illustrated Hebrew-Lithuanian, Lithuanian-Hebrew vocabulary for beginners (by Ruth Reches).
The meeting was also attended by historian Arkadi Zeltser (Member of the International Commission, Yad Vashem Historical Institute); Erez Golan, deputy ambassador of Israel to Lithuania; Iris Rosenberg, head of communications at Yad Vashem; Rimantas Jokimaitis, a specialist from the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of Lithuania; Ieva Šadževičienė, director (acting) of the Vilna Gaon Jewish History Museum; Ronaldas Račinskas, executive director of the International Commission; Ingrida Vilkienė, coordinator of the educational programs of the International Commission; and 22 teachers from various Lithuanian educational institutions.
The meeting with the Lithuanian educational institutions’ employees was organized at Yad Vashem’s initiative in cooperation with the Embassy of Israel in Lithuania and the Secretariat of the International Commission.
Photos from “Izraelis Lietuvoje” Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IsraelinLithuania/posts/pfbid02JygFKeVRS1rfCXPARYFKBEf8er7ZMyS74pAnmaJci5NNb5pLbpwryMU58JXVe2aHl