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HAPPY 85th BIRTHDAY TO

Professor Joseph Parason

(Josifas Parasonis)

Key Figure in Vilnius’s Jewish Community

For many decades, a major professor of the sciences of buildings and architecture at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU, now Vilnius Tech); major national expert on the science of structures

Courageous champion of Jewish causes, ethics and democracy in the community,  and the quest for historic truth and justice

Former deputy chairman of the Lithuanian Jewish Community and beloved mentor to young people of all backgrounds

Stalwart member of the Vilnius Yiddish Literary Circle for many of the years of its twenty-one year history

Contributor to numerous publications, including Defending History

Father and grandfather of the most dedicated, talented and accomplished builders of renewed Jewish life in today’s Vilnius

 

[Historical note: The year of Prof. Parasonis’s 85th is also the year of the 85th anniversary of the events in Lithuania of 1941. His dramatic escape from his native Kaunas (Yiddish Kóvne) as 4½ month old toddler with his mother — and the fate of the rest of the family — are summarized here. He is at an advanced stage of writing his autobiography.]

   אַ ליכטיקן געבאָרנטאָג אונדזער טײַערן חבר, לערער און וועגווײַזער, פּראָפ. יוסף פּאַראַסאָן! מיר ווינטשן אײַך אַ סך אַ סך גליקלעכע אינטערעסאַנטע, שעפערישע, פרוכפּערדיקע יאָרן מיט אָן אַ שיעור נחת פון קינדער און קינדסקינדער, מיט פרייד פון דער אייגענער גלענצנדיקער אַרבעט, מיט ווייטערדיקער גרויס שעפערישקײַט, טאַלאַנט און גוואַלדיקע אויפטוען און אַלעמערשטנס געזונט! ביזקל די 120!

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