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From Wednesday night to Thursday sunset, the White, Green and King Mindaugas bridges will glow white and blue – these are the colors suggested by Litvaks David Wolfson, who was born in the mid-19th century in Darbenai, on the Israeli flag. . .
“Vilnius is called North Jerusalem throughout the world, because important personalities of Jewish culture and history were born, lived, studied and created here. Some of them also actively contributed to the creation and strengthening of the independent state of Israel. Vilnius’s connection with Israel and its people is particularly bright and deep, ”says Faina Kukliansky, President of the Lithuanian Jewish Community (Litvak).
The capital and today are rich in Jewish heritage: in the old part of the city you can find traces of Lithuanian culture, architecture, art and culinary heritage in every street or house.
According to F. Kukliansky, public interest in Jewish history and culture has increased in recent years, and more and more Lithuanians are discovering the heritage of the Litvaks. Interest in Lithuania is also felt from Israel: before the pandemic, the number of tourists from Israel, who went here to seek roots and visit historical places, grew rapidly in Lithuania.
Vilnius has a tradition of celebrating important dates and anniversaries together with the whole world by illuminating the infrastructure objects of the city.
“I am glad that today Vilnius is illuminated with the colors of Israel, thus expressing friendship with this country. The Jewish cultural heritage in Vilnius is one of the most important and ancient connections, but we are interested in Israel not only because of the past, but also for the future: Israeli businessmen are also discovering Vilnius and Lithuania, ”says Faina Kukliansky.
The independent state of Israel was founded in 1948, 3 years after World War II. The Litvak and their descendants became one of the most active Israeli creators, prominent politicians and heads of state; for example, the current Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is the grandson of the Lithuanian Jew Nathan Mileikovsky, who arrived in Palestine in 1930. Today, more than 9 million people live in Israel.
