March 11, 2026

Thirty-six years ago today, Lithuania captured the world’s attention. In the face of the Soviet Union—an empire that former U.S. President Ronald Reagan famously called the “evil empire” for its ruthless disregard for morality and human dignity—the people of this small nation chose courage over fear, leading to the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Vilnius’s Rabbi Sholom Ber Krinsky, the city’s only resident rabbi for 32 years

In January 1991, unarmed citizens stood before Soviet tanks in the center of Vilnius. Some gave their lives for freedom, facing unimaginable danger for the cause of dignity and self-determination. They did not know how the story would end—but they knew they could no longer live under the degrading brutality and soulless power of the Soviet system. They stood up—and they prevailed.

History has shown again and again that empires ultimately collapse when they lose their moral and spiritual compass. When conscience disappears, even the largest armies and the most formidable arsenals eventually become irrelevant.

Today, Lithuania stands proud as a democratic, forward-looking European nation. Yet it now faces a profound moral question: how should it treat the historic Šnipiškės Jewish Cemetery, a sacred site scarred by the callousness of the Soviet regime?