Nonprofit Calls On UNESCO, European Union, United States To Protect Site
NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / August 1, 2025 / The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation (AJCF), the nonprofit dedicated to harnessing the lessons learned from the Holocaust to combat hatred and bigotry through educational programs, strongly condemns the Lithuanian government's decision to proceed with construction on the historic Šnipiškes (Piramónt) Jewish Cemetery in Vilnius.
The sacred burial ground, which dates back to the 15th century, was once the final resting place of thousands of Lithuanian Jews, including revered rabbis, scholars, and community leaders. The Lithuanian government's reversal of its prior commitment to protect the cemetery is a violation of international trust, an affront to Jewish memory, and a desecration of one of the most significant Jewish cemeteries in Europe.
"The decision by Lithuania to desecrate what is among the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Europe is a grave insult to the memory of the dead and to the conscience of the living," said AJCF Chairman Simon Bergson. "Cemeteries are eternal places of rest, and this betrayal reverberates far beyond Lithuania. It undermines the universal promise to preserve Jewish memory and respect for the sanctity of the dead."
Vilnius, long known as the "Jerusalem of the North," was once a thriving center of Jewish intellectual, spiritual, and cultural life before its destruction during the Holocaust. The Šnipiškes Cemetery is one of the last tangible links to that world. Its destruction would be an irreversible act of historical erasure.
"Lithuania once vowed to protect the Vilnius cemetery and honor it as a place of remembrance," said AJCF Director General Jack Simony. "To renege on that promise now is a profound breach of trust-not only with the Jewish community but with all who believe in the integrity of Holocaust memory. This is not about stones and soil; it is about the eternal dignity of human beings whose remains lie there."
The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation calls on UNESCO to designate the Šnipiškes Cemetery as a protected heritage site under international law. The Foundation urges the European Union to hold Lithuania accountable to its previous pledges and its responsibility to preserve cultural and historical memory. It also calls on the United States government, which has a statutory obligation to safeguard Jewish cemeteries abroad, to engage diplomatically and ensure the protection of the site.
AJCF encourages global civil society, including Jewish and non-Jewish organizations, educators, religious leaders, and human rights advocates, to raise their voices and demand that the Lithuanian government halt all construction plans immediately and preserve this sacred ground.
"Vilnius must decide whether it will be remembered as a guardian of memory or as a force of its destruction," added Simony. "We cannot allow silence to pave over sacred ground. This is not only a Jewish issue. It is a human issue. History is watching."
The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing the lessons learned from the Holocaust to combat hatred and bigotry through educational programs and by providing direct humanitarian aid to victims of mass atrocities. It supports survivors of genocides and other tragedies, including Ukrainian refugees and those impacted by Hamas's October 7 attacks. The Foundation maintains the Auschwitz Jewish Center, the last remaining synagogue in Oswiecim (Auschwitz) and serves as the primary institution dedicated to preserving the memory of the town's Jewish community while addressing hate. To date, over a million people have visited the center, more than 300,000 students participated in its educational programs and tens of thousands of diplomats, military and law enforcement personnel and educators, have taken part in its educational initiatives on tolerance and the Holocaust. For more information, visit: https://ajcfus.org/.
Contact:
Joshua Steinreich
Steinreich Communications
(212) 491-1600
jsteinreich@scompr.com
SOURCE: Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/auschwitz-jewish-center-foundation-condemns-lithuanias-desecrati-1055560
