The aim of the project is to promote awareness and understanding of Lithuanian Jewish culture, history, and heritage, strengthen historical memory, and encourage society, especially younger generations, to learn about Lithuania’s multicultural past. The project activities will take place at the Jurbarkas District Municipality Public Library – in a town that is inseparable from Lithuanian Jewish history and remembrance.

The project will include two main activities: the presentation and exhibition of an exhibition dedicated to Jewish culture and history, and an educational lecture about Jewish culture, traditions, and historical heritage.

On 6 October 2026, the Jurbarkas District Municipality Public Library will present and host the exhibition by Michailas Duškesas entitled “Original Documents of the Jurbarkas Jewish Community Before the Holocaust from the Judaica Collection of Natalja and Michailas Duškesas.”

The exhibition will present authentic historical documents from the Judaica collection of Natalja and Michailas Duškesas, revealing the life, traditions, and history of the Jewish community of Jurbarkas before the Holocaust. These valuable historical sources will provide an opportunity to discover the Jewish community not only through the tragedy of the Holocaust but also through the perspective of everyday life, culture, social activities, family histories, and community development before the Second World War.

During the exhibition presentation, visitors will be introduced to the exhibits, their historical context, and stories reflecting the life of Lithuanian Jewish communities. Participants will have the opportunity to meet the exhibition author, hear a professional presentation, and learn more about Jewish culture, traditions, community life, the importance of synagogues, religious customs, and the preservation of Jewish heritage.

Students from Jurbarkas district schools will be actively involved in the exhibition activities. Classes and student groups will be invited to participate in the exhibition presentation together with the author, explore authentic historical documents, and gain a deeper understanding of the importance of the Jewish community in the history of the Jurbarkas region.

The second project activity, planned for November 2026, will be a lecture and educational programme led by Saulius Pilinkus. During the programme, participants will be introduced to the most important aspects of Jewish culture: history, traditions, family values, religious life, the role of synagogues in Jewish communities, customs, and the concept of love in Jewish culture.

Special attention during the lecture will be dedicated to the theme of love as one of the strongest human values in Jewish culture and tradition. The lecture will explore how love for family, loved ones, community, faith, and life itself helped the Jewish people preserve their identity, traditions, and hope even during the most difficult periods of history. Love and human connection were not only an essential part of everyday life but also an inner strength that helped people remain resilient, preserve their humanity, and pass their culture and values on to future generations.

The lecture will highlight that, throughout the history of Jewish communities, love was an unbreakable force that survived despite losses, persecution, and the tragedy of the Holocaust. Family bonds, respect for older generations, passing traditions on to children, caring for one another, and a strong sense of community became important factors that helped preserve Jewish cultural heritage and historical memory.

The educational programme will aim to demonstrate that Jewish history is not only a story of tragedy and loss – it is also a story of love, creativity, resilience, continuity of life, and hope. Participants will have the opportunity to better understand how culture, traditions, and human connections help preserve the identity of a community even under the most difficult circumstances.

The lecture will seek to present not only the painful history of the Holocaust but also the rich, creative, and surviving Jewish culture, its values, and its spiritual strength.

Approximately 200 participants are expected to attend the project events, including students, teachers, community members, cultural workers, and other visitors interested in Jewish history and culture.

Organizing these events in Jurbarkas is particularly meaningful because the town has a deep connection with Lithuanian Jewish history. Before the Second World War, Jurbarkas was home to a large and active Jewish community that played an important role in the town’s economic, cultural, and social life. Jewish residents built families, developed trade and crafts, preserved traditions, established organizations, and made a significant contribution to the history of the Jurbarkas region.

With the beginning of the Second World War, the Jewish community of Jurbarkas became one of the first communities in the region to experience the tragedy of the Holocaust – the majority of the community was destroyed. Today, important Jewish remembrance sites remain in the town: the old Jewish cemetery, the main Holocaust killing site, a memorial at the location of the former synagogue, monuments, and other places of remembrance dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jewish community.
For more than 10 years, the Jurbarkas District Municipality Public Library has been organizing and implementing events dedicated to Jewish culture, history, and remembrance. The library has hosted exhibitions, concerts, commemorative events, lectures, and educational activities. The Ambassador of Israel to Lithuania has visited events organized by the library on several occasions. The library cooperates with the Kaunas Jewish Community, the Goodwill Foundation, and other organizations dedicated to preserving Jewish culture and history. Memorial walks, concerts, and other activities are organized to honor the memory of the Jewish community of Jurbarkas.

This project will continue the library’s long-term commitment to preserving Jewish heritage and historical memory, reminding society of the importance of Jewish culture, the strength of the Jewish community, and its contribution to Lithuania’s history. The project activities will promote dialogue, tolerance, cultural understanding, and a deeper appreciation of Lithuania’s multicultural heritage.