File photo: Rabbi Krinsky conducts a Torah study session with local Jews.

Lithuania Shliach: Soviet-Era Tactics Used Against Us

by Rabbi Sholom Ber Krinsky, Chabad emissary to Lithuania

Since it’s inception in 1994, Chabad of Lithuania has endured attacks and libel by the very people now empowered with distributing Lithuanian Government restitution funds.

Despite the fact that Chabad has been serving Jews throughout Lithuania full time since 1994, they have been excluded from receiving restitution funds vital to their survival. Since 2014, these funds have been paid by the Lithuanian Government with the intention that they be distributed fairly for the good of the Jews living in Lithuania today.

The Lithuanian Government has been giving 3.4 million Euro annually to the Good Will Foundation. The GWF was created for the sole purpose of distributing these funds given in lieu of the return of pre-World War II Jewish Religious Communal property, and should be distributed in an equitable manner. However, to date, Chabad Lithuania has not received ANY of these funds.

This has resulted in the educational institutions (and Chabad Lithuania in general) being in urgent need of an immediate influx of significant funds to continue its work.

To add insult to injury, the GWF’s current co-chairs have been surreptitiously undermining the work of Chabad Lithuania for many years, in ways that would make the KGB proud. That’s right, the very people who are supposed to be impartially distributing government funds, have been and continue to undermine the work of Chabad in Lithuania.

All this while funds from the GWF have been allocated to dozens of projects and institutions that are offensive to the morals and values of the pre-War Jewish religious communities in Lithuania.

A petition has been created to bring the attention of this travesty to the community at large, in the hope that some sunlight will cause the perpetrators to reconsider. Members of the community are asked to visit the petition site: https://www.change.org/p/good-will-foundation-board-please-help-make-a-vital-difference-for-lithuanian-jewry-now/w and add their name to the ever growing list of signators.

For detailed background information, please visit www.rabbikrinsky.blogspot.lt.

One Comment

  • Sheina Prus

    I grew up in Vilnius Lithaunia. Met Krinskies when i was 8 years old camp. They incredible shluchim o spired me their honesty dovotion did everything with the smile. They put tremendous time in comunity camp shabbosim and holiday.
    My parents still live on Vilniis always happy to go tp events and programs.
    Please sign pettition and help them.
    Ps i am frum and live in crown heights where raising frum family it all that becouse of their tremenduse care.