EJP Members will take part in Litvak Cultural Forum in Kaunas in September 2022

“Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022” invites the world’s Litvaks to return to Kaunas and meet at the Litvak Culture Forum on 29 – 30 September. The Forum will take place over several days and will include discussions with renowned artists, scholars and representatives of the cultural world.

In a special cultural programme of the Litvak Forum, we are presenting “Kaunas Kantata”, composed by Philip Miller and Jenny Kagan, together with Lithuanian musicians – choirs, ensembles and soloists – which will remind us once again of the city’s complex history and the fate of its people. This encounter with history is more relevant than ever in today’s context.

A unique programme of academic presentations and presentations of artistic projects will be accompanied by concerts, exhibitions and performances dedicated to Jewish memory. Many of these art projects have been created by world’s Litvaks such as William Kentridge, Philip Miller, Jenny Kagan, Bruce Clark and others. The discussions will also include the participation of prominent academics such as Prof. James E. Young, Prof. Antony Polonsky, Prof. Peter Salovey and others.

The Litvak Cultural Forum is part of the Kaunas 2022 CityTelling Festival organised by the Memory Office programme. Now in its fourth year, the CityTelling Festival opens up the forgotten pages of history.

This year, the CityTelling Festival will last several months. Starting in mid-July, we will awaken the Jewish memory of the city – we will talk about the rich culture that existed in the city, we will remember the forgotten names of Kaunas citizens and the fates of those who lived here. In October, we will look back at the stories of contemporary Kaunas, and end the festival with a reflection on the future at the International Symposium “The Idea of Europe”.