Maceva, an NGO that cleans and documents and educates about Jewish cemeteries in Lithuania, has published its Spring/Summer 2012 Newsletter, with updates on its activities over the past few months. There are reports about clean-up and documentation activities in several cemeteries, including Sveksna, where Maceva began cooperating with the local museum.
In the Spring of 2012 the Sveksna Regional Museum joined with Maceva to learn as much as possible about the no longer existing Sveksna Jewish community. We photographed all remaining tombstones in the local Jewish cemetery and translated inscriptions into Lithuanian and English.
In the desire to make this a place of memory and one where visitors would want to visit, the scouting group of ” Alicija Rugyte”, led by Vilma Adomaviciene and Violeta Stoniene, arranged expeditions to the cemetery.
During these visits during every tombstone was cleaned, a path leading to the cemetery was cleaned, and 3 tombstones were dug out the earth. The children were excited and interested to learn who had been buried there. Scouts also learned about Jewish traditions. They asked questions such as; “why visitors do not visit on the Sabbath?”, why men and women wear head coverings?, why one should always wash their hands after visiting the cemetery?, why stones and not flowers are brought to the tombstones, etc.
The head of the Regional Council, Alfonsas Seputis, allocated manpower to cut the grass and help to remove the debris.
Maceva also reports that it is lobbying authorities in Kaunas, Lithuania’s second city, to take care of the Jewish cemetery there. The cemetery, believed to be Lithuania’s largest Jewish cemetery, is in poor condition, with toppled gravestones and thick vegetation.
Maceva’s Mission Statement is to:
- Collect, catalogue and publicize information about all the pre-WWII Jewish cemeteries in Lithuania.
- Document through photographs all remaining tombstones in all Jewish cemeteries throughout Lithuania;
- Translate all legible inscriptions from the gravestones and post this information on our website so that all can get a list of cemeteries or a burial list free of charge;
- Whenever possible restore/reconstruct, or at least clean cemeteries, with the assistance of and in cooperation with local municipalities;
- Install permanent memorial plaques at Jewish cemeteries across the country with information about the site and the community;
- Raise awareness among local communities about the Jews who used to live in the neighborhood and seek their support to look after Jewish cemeteries.
1 comment on “Updates from Maceva organization on Lithuanian Jewish cemeteries”
Being Epigraphist and Paleograph, specialized particularly in deciphering, transcrbing and translating Hebrew, Yiddish and Russian epitaphs, I’d like to participate to the projecct of saving Jewish cemeteries in Lithuania.
I am living in France, in the city of Pantin, at the north-east doors of Paris.
I have been twice in Lithuania, in July 2007 and in July 2013.
I hope you’ll contact me.
Warm regards.