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VILNIUS—The following is an English translation of the statement posted today by the Vilnius Jewish Community (VJC) on its website and on Facebook.

Among reports and reactions: in Alfa.lt; the statement posted by Jewish Heritage Lita (JHL); Dovid Katz’s post on n Facebook and in Defending History; Defending History’s newly compiled section, Lithuania: a Textbook Case of East European Restitution for Lost Jewish Assets Abused to Dismantle and Diminish a Vibrant Jewish Community, which includes contributions over the years by Ruta Bloshtein, Alexander Chernov, Pinchos Fridberg, Simon Gurevich, Leon Kaplan, Arkady Kurliandchik, Zecharya Olickij, Josif Parasonis, the late Jacob Pilansky, among others.]

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Statement of the Vilnius Jewish Community

The Vilnius Jewish Community announces that it will not participate in the reporting and election meeting of the Lithuanian Jewish Community to be held on June 6 of this year.

During this meeting, elections for the chairperson and governing bodies of the community are scheduled to take place.

The Vilnius Jewish Community unites more than 1,600 individuals, who constitute the majority of Jews living in Lithuania. The decision not to participate in the election meeting was made in protest against the flawed and undemocratic election procedure of the Lithuanian Jewish Community, which disregards the will of the majority.

By amending its statutes, the Lithuanian Jewish Community has broken with the rich tradition of Jewish democratic communal life. Formerly an organization representing the people, the Lithuanian Jewish Community has become an association of legal entities supported by itself.

Regretting the current situation, the Vilnius Jewish Community hereby publicly distances itself from the decisions of the upcoming reporting and election meeting of the Lithuanian Jewish Community.

Board of the Vilnius Jewish Community