Other events in Baltic States

On 13 April, an exhibition of Vilna Ghetto posters "Jewish Spiritual Resistance" was opened at the Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv. The exhibition was organized by the Lithuanian Embassy in Israel, reported BC the press service of the Foreign Ministry. Vilna Ghetto posters represent the spiritual strength, resistance to dehumanization and humiliation of the people who were forced into the Ghetto.

This spiritual resistance manifested itself through multifaceted cultural activity within the Ghetto, performances by the Ghetto's artistic societies and the Vilna Ghetto Theatre from 1942 to 1943. The Cameri Theatre shows Joshua Sobol's play "Ghetto", directed by Omri Nitzan, the artistic director of the Cameri Theatre, which tells the tale of the Vilna Ghetto theatre during the period between 1942 and 1943. The exhibition consists of the copies of the Vilna Ghetto posters that have survived thanks to a miracle and now are the property of the Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum. During the opening of the exhibition, Righteous Among the Nations from Lithuania – Elena Laurinaviciene (posthumously) and her family members – were also honoured for saving Jews during the Second World War. Aldona Tomkeviciene (the granddaughter of Elena Laurinaviciene), Julius Tacas from New York (the grandson of Chaim Leiba Tacas who was saved) and relatives of the Tacas family in Israel took part in the opening of the exhibition.

On the same day, the memory of Laurinaviciene and her brave and noble deed was honoured at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. Tomkeviciene received the Righteous Medal and a certificate of honour. On that occasion, a memorial plaque was unveiled at the grove of the Righteous Among the Nations at Yad Vashem.

On 5 October 2010, President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite conferred (posthumously) Life Saving Crosses on Laurinaviciene and her two late sons Jonas and Pranas (both posthumously) for saving Jews from Nazi persecution during the Second World War.

Lithuania's Parliament (Seimas) has declared 2011 as Year of Remembrance for the Victims of the Holocaust in Lithuania. The exhibition in Tel Aviv is one of the events of the Year of Remembrance.