Despite losing funding, the Lithuanian festival of Jewish culture goes ahead thanks to a team of volunteers

Shalom in all the World, an international festival of Jewish culture, has returned to the Lithuanian port city of Klaipėda for September 2024, despite no longer receiving funding from the city’s mayor or the Lithuanian Council of Culture. This set-back has not deterred art historian and festival founder Ruta Jakštonienė, who started the festival in 2021 with the dream of celebrating the cultural achievements of the Jewish community that flourished in the city before 1939.

For this year's edition, a rich, varied programme of events focusing on Jewish music has been taking place at locations throughout the Lithuanian city since the start of the month and runs until Saturday 28 September. This features talks, concerts and films, including a lecture about 'The Jewish Nightingale', Nechama Lifshitz, an internationally renowned singer. All events are free to attend, with the festival team working on a voluntary basis to ensure the programme goes ahead following the reduced funding.

The festival concludes with a performance of klezmer-inspired classical music for violin and piano on the closing night at St Francis of Assisi Church, arranged with the support of the German Embassy. JR has approached the mayor for a response, but has yet to hear back. We will share their comments as to why it was refused funding at a later date.

At its peak, before the World War II, Klaipėda had four synagogues as well as Jewish sports clubs, history and literature clubs, a women’s Zionist organisation and a chamber orchestra. When the German army invaded, most of the 6,000 Jews fled. Some returned after the war and by 1967 the Jewish population numbered about 1,000. Shalom in all the World is designed to celebrate that history and commemorate the Jewish influence on Lithuanian arts and culture.

"One of the goals of the festival is to break down stereotypes,” Jakštonien said in the Autumn 2022 issue of JR. “I live in a country that was once called the ‘Jerusalem of the north’, where Jews and Lithuanians share 800 years of history, where famous Litvaks such as violinist Jascha Heifetz, painter Yehuda Pen, novelist Abraham Mapu and philosopher Emanuel Levin were born or spent their childhood. It is our common history and we must know it, remember it.”

By Peter Watts

Header photo © Alamy

Shalom in all the World runs until Saturday 28 September. Times vary. FREE. Various Klaipėda venues, Lithuania. zydukulturosdienos.lt/program-of-2024