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VILNIUS—The following public letter to the mayor of Vilnius from Rabbi Elchonon Baron appeared today on the website of Jewish Heritage in Lita (JHL):

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Honorable Valdas Benkunskas

Mayor of Vilnius

While the municipality’s initiative to mark the borders of the Šnipiškės cemetery, in the Jewish world also known as Piramont cemetery, is a positive step, it’s concerning that a significant portion of the cemetery will fall outside these newly defined boundaries.

Furthermore, the official statement by the Vilnius city municipality, dated May 9, 2025, stating that “…in the 19th century the cemetery was officially closed and most of the remains were reburied,” is inaccurate and confusing. To clarify the historical details:

•         The Jewish cemetery was closed in 1831.

•         This closure occurred under the same circumstances and against the will of the Jews and the Vilna Jewish community, similar to the closure of Vilnius University.

•         No reburials took place at that time.

In the summer and autumn of 2002, construction work for the King Mindaugas Bridge at the intersection of Rinktinės and Olimpiečių streets unearthed burials from the cemetery site. In an act of civilization and humanity, the Jewish community collected the discovered human remains, totaling approximately 700 individuals, and reinterred them in the Jewish cemetery on Sudervės Street to prevent their desecration.

It is crucial to understand that these remains were uncovered from a small, peripheral section of the original cemetery and that this reburial in 2002 is entirely separate from the cemetery’s closure in 1831. The remains were moved not for the sake of relocation itself, but to protect them from desecration and destruction by construction equipment.

Respect for the deceased, the protection of their remains and burial sites, and cemeteries from destruction is a guarantee of the continuity of civilization and the preservation of humanity at all times.

The Vilnius Šnipiškės Jewish Cemetery is an integral part of the history of Vilnius, the capital of the Republic of Lithuania. It is a pity that we do not always know how to understand and appreciate this.

We at Jewish Heritage in Lita, representing hundreds of thousands of Jews who identify with Lithuanian Jewish Heritage, appreciate the municipality’s ongoing efforts to care for both historic Jewish cemeteries in Vilnius: in Šnipiškės, and Užupis.

We believe that the only feasible and meaningful solution would be the full restoration of the Piramont cemetery and the proper commemoration of all burials within its historical boundaries.

Rabbi Elchonon Baron, President

Julius Norvila, Vilna Representative

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Download original files:

Letter to mayor of Vilnius (English)

Letter to mayor of Vilnius  (LT)