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A remembrance evening to commemorate the diplomats who saved Jewish lives during WWII took place at the Tolerance Centre of the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum on 17 September 2014. Orphic Trio, a music ensemble from Great Britain, dedicated their concert to Chiune Sugihara (1900–1986), the vice-consul of Japan, and Jan Zwartendijk (1896–1976), the consul of the Netherlands, who resided in Kaunas during the war. The band performed works by Joseph Achron, Anatoly Shenderov, Toru Takemitsu and Dmitri Shostakovich (the concert programme is available here). Orphic Trio: Orpheus Papafilippou (violin), William Routlege (violonchello) and Rimantas Vingras (grand piano). The trio is a London band distinguished for their colourful and original performances. The repertoire of the ensemble consists of works by representatives of classical and romantic music, as well as the compositions of contemporary composers.
A large number of diplomats residing in Lithuania took part in the remembrance event. Markas Zingeris, director of the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, H.E Kazuko Shiraishi, the Ambassador of Japan to Lithuania, Cecilia Ruthstrom-Ruin, the Ambassador of Sweden to Lithuania, and Bert van der Lingen, the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Lithuania, greeted the guests.
Japanese Ambassador Kazuko Shiraishi told the audience more about Japanese Consul Chiune Sugihara, who resided in Lithuania during the war period. Without the permission of his state, he issued “visas of life”. He issued these visas even at the train station at the last minute and thus saved the lives of about 6000 Jews. “The deed of Mr Sugihara will serve not only as a symbol of friendly and reciprocal Lithuanian and Japanese relations but also as an eternal legacy of great courage and compassion,” the Japanese Ambassador said.
Dutch Ambassador Bert van der Lingen elaborated on the mission of Jan Zwartendijk, who was a businessman and diplomat residing in Lithuania. He issued visas to the Dutch Indies for the Jews of Lithuania.
Swedish Ambassador Cecilia Ruthstrom-Ruin, who spoke at this event, paid respect to the memory of Sugihara and Zwartendijk. She was also happy to have the opportunity to mention the work done by Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat, to save Hungarian Jews; he made a personal sacrifice that enabled tens of thousands of human lives to be saved. The Swedish Ambassador encouraged everyone to follow the example of Suguhara and Zwartendijk and stand up bravely against oppression, xenophobia, intolerance and anti-Semitism.
Please click here to download the full version of the agenda.
Partner of the event: London Santara–Šviesa club.
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Kamilė Rupeikaitė, caretaker of the event, assistant director
Bert van der Lingen, the Dutch Ambassador
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