Protecting The Cemetery In Vilna
According to tradition the old Jewish cemetery in Vilna was consecrated in 1487, although there is no written proof of such date. Tsarist authorities closed it in 1831. Letters from Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, zt"l (1863-1940), leading rav in Vilna and author of Achiezer, indicate the Jewish community's concern of infringement onto the cemetery in 1937 and 1938, when Polish military troops were stationed there and the cemetery was used for sports events. During World War II, the Nazis destroyed parts of the cemetery, in which, by then, no burials had taken place for more than 100 years.
Vilna Gaon, zt"l (1720-1797)
In 1949, the Russian Government granted permission for the remains of certain graves to be re-interred in the "new" Jewish cemetery on Zaretcha Street, which itself had been in use for two centuries: The remains of the Vilna Gaon; the renowned Ger Tzedek (righteous convert) Count Walenti Potocki, Hy"d (d. 1749), who was burned at the stake; and six other important rabbis who were buried in the immediate area and in the Ohel (burial chamber) of the Gaon.
Continuous Infringements And Desecrations
The cemetery was seriously violated by Soviet authorities in 1949-1950 with the construction of the Zalgiris Stadium. Further, the Palace of Concerts and Sports was built in 1971 right in the middle of the cemetery. In 2005, apartment and office buildings were built on top of another part of the site, then incurring condemnation from international Jewish organizations. This resulted in a motion being passed in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008, condemning Lithuania for its "failure to protect the historic Jewish cemetery in Vilnius." Presently, the stadium and the concert center are in disrepair and have not been used for years.
In August 2009, the Lithuanian Government reached an agreement with Jewish organizations on the boundaries of the cemetery and granted it protected status. Buildings already on the site will not be demolished. The buildings, containing apartment complexes and offices, are populated by several thousand people. In achieving the official government agreement protecting against any further developmental incursions and preserving the rest of the cemetery, a monumental accomplishment has been most skillfully reached. The following is the rather modest press release by Executive Director of the Committee for the Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries in Europe, Rabbi Abraham Ginsberg. Hopefully the agreements reached in Toledo and now in Vilna will pave the way for resolving present and future cemetery conflicts.
Historic Agreement To Save Vilnius Beis Olam
After years of conflict and extended negotiations with successive governments, an agreement has been signed in Vilnius last Wednesday afternoon, August 26, 2009,to protect the old Vilnius (Vilna) Beis Olam at Snipiskes, containing many thousands of kevarim (graves) including those of the great gaonim and tzaddikim who brought the historic Vilna kehillah fame as '"Yerushalayim of Lita" and recognizing it as a heritage site protected under Lithuanian law.
"The agreement was signed by Rabbi Elyokim Schlesinger, Rosh Yeshiva Horomo of London, on behalf of the Committee for the Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries in Europe (CPJCE); Dr. Simonas Alperaviius Executive Director of the Lithuanian Jewish Community and Ms Diana Varnaite Head of the Cultural Heritage Department of Lithuania. The meeting was also attended by: Rabbi Gershon Tzvi Gluck, member of the Rabbinical Board of CPJCE; Arieh Klein, Geoligical Technical Consultant; Faina Kukliansky, Chair of the Vilnius Jewish Community; Donatas Valanciauskas, Vice Minister of Culture; Sarunas Adomavicius, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs; Renaldas Augustinavicius, representing the Cultural Heritage Department; and Saulius Jaskelevicius, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Counselor.
"Throughout the ongoing effort to resolve the matter, there had been extreme difficulty in establishing and obtaining agreement from all sides on the exact original boundaries of the cemetery. Through the years, several different historical maps were produced and now had to be reconciled. The final agreement grants full protection to the entire area of the largest of all the cemetery maps, and, in addition, recognizes a buffer zone around the area within that determination. No disturbance of the core-protected area is allowed at all, and any excavation of any kind in the buffer zone requires rabbinical supervision, as specifically approved and ratified by the Lithuanian Government on May 18, 2009.
"The CPJCE has been actively involved in this campaign over the past several years, with ongoing meetings in London, Vilnius, and many on-site visits, as well as in the geological-technical study and sub-surface scan, which confirmed the existence of graves throughout the site, contradicting previous Lithuanian government findings.
"The CPJCE's Rabbinical Board has been closely involved throughout the campaign and especially in the intermittent actions necessary to officially delineate the cemetery boundaries. At a special meeting in London last Sunday, August 23, 2009, the Rabbinical Board discussed in detail and approved every provision of the final agreement.
"The actual signing of the agreement took place in Vilnius with great ceremony. Speeches were delivered by a number of important government dignitaries. Rabbi Schlesinger spoke on behalf of the CPJCE, describing the occasion as: "A day when the truth has been recognized, a revelation of the Divine presence in the world, an act of peace and justice, and as bringing about a better world."
"Prior to the ceremony, Rabbi Schlesinger and Rabbi Edgar Gluck, Chief Rabbi of Galicia and renown activist, were formally received by Andrius Kubilius, Prime Minister of Lithuania, who expressed his pleasure at achieving the historic agreement. The rabbis were also welcomed by Vygaudas Usackas, Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Lithuanian Ambassador to London, who had been intensely involved in efforts to resolve outstanding issue while still serving in England.
"A CPJCE spokesman said that the committee felt privileged to be involved in the protection of the many thousands of kevarim (graves) in the Snipiskes cemetery and expressed special thanks to Vilnius Jewish community leaders Dr. Simonas Alperavicius, Chairman of the Lithuanian Jewish community, and to Simon Butt, British Ambassador to Lithuania; and to U.S. Ambassador John A. Cloud and their diplomatic staff for their devoted efforts in achieving the historic agreement.
"The Vilna Beis Olam dates back several hundreds of years, and was officially closed for burials more than 100 years ago. Government attempts to seize sections of the Beis Olam were resisted by the Vilna kehillah under the Rabbi Chayim Ozer Grodzinski. Later, under Soviet rule, the remaining matzevos (monuments) were removed and a sports complex was erected on one part of the cemetery.
With great effort, the kehillah was able to move the kevarim of the Vilna Gaon, the famous ger tzedek Avrohom ben Avrohom and other tzaddikim, to the new cemetery. Remarkably, the sports complex and all other buildings on the cemetery at the time have fallen into disuse or collapse, and the new democratic Lithuanian government wished to redevelop the entire area as a new residential neighborhood and business center.
"International protests and efforts to save the cemetery began immediately, but unfortunately, two buildings were erected on the cemetery area before the election of the current Lithuanian Government. International Jewish organizations were also divided on the best approach to save the cemetery. The current government has shown an understanding of Jewish concerns for the sanctity of the area and a determination to come to an agreement, which has at last been achieved.
"The CPJCE expresses its sincere thanks and appreciation to the Conference of European Rabbis (CER), and especially to Rabbi Aba Dunner, Chairman of CER; Philip Carme, Director of International Relations at CER; and Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag, a leading member of CER, for their selfless devotion and tireless efforts throughout the campaign, arranging high-ranking meetings in Brussels with the European Parliament, attending the many meetings in Vilnius and abroad, and being active partners in the working group set up by the Lithuanian Authorities in May 2007 to resolve this issue. The CER is very helpful and actively involved with the CPJCE in many other cemetery issues.
"The CPJCE hopes that this sets an example once again for governments and local authorities all over, that these sensitive issues of safeguarding and preserving Jewish cemeteries in Europe can be resolved by positive negotiations and mutual understanding."
