Visiting Kėdainiai: Historical Memory and Rolling Hills

On May 29th, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Kėdainiai to accompany my supervisor, PAO Jon Berger, who gave remarks at the Workshop for the Principals of the Schools with Active Tolerance Education Centers. More than 40 principals from across Lithuania, speakers, and experts from museums, universities, and members of the International Commission  attended a seminar called “Historical Memory  as the key to civil society” at the Kedainiai Multicultural center.

Jon's presentation was titled “Holocaust education programs implemented by the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania” and emphasized that the most important thing is to be able to discuss this subject openly and honestly, with everyone, at all ages.  Information on teaching tools, the most successful programs, available resources at the American Center library, and ways of future cooperation were provided for school principals. All participants were excited to hear that the U.S. Embassy will make available 1000 DVDs, one for every school in Lithuania, that contain testimonies from Holocaust survivors, translated into Lithuanian. 

The history of Lithuania is so interesting, and even though some of it is also tragic, there is so much that can be learned from this culture. It is strong, patient, and faithful. At the event, one of the people who run the Tolerance Center was kind enough to show me the small museum they have upstairs to remember those who died during the Holocaust in Kėdainiai. Pictures, clothes, books, memoirs and more revealed the sad events that took place in this city. In the top part of the museum, names of those who were lost are engraved into metal plating that goes around the entire room. This was incredibly interesting to me. In the States we have many Holocaust museums, and many people who fled Europe for saftey came to America, but I have never been to a Holocaust musuem in a location where the events actually took place, and it is a very somber and humbling experience. The Lithuanians have done a great job in commemorating those who were lost, and remembering the events in order to build, grow, and assure that it never happens again.

Homes and synagogues now lost to Kėdainiai

A video showing the tragic events that happened so long ago.

 After the event we had a little extra time to go and see the rest of Kėdainiai. The town is beautiful and is clearly influenced by many different styles of architecture. There is a river, parks, and a small square were we stopped to take photos. Everyone we met while we were there was friendly and ready to talk to us about their town. On the trip back, we drove through Babtai, which is the most beautiful natural scenery I have ever witnessed. There were wide open fields of wildflowers growing, pastures where horses were grazing, miles upon miles of beautiful rolling hills. We only saw houses every few miles, and the feeling that these lands have gone untouched since the beginning of time made me happy that the environment here is so natural. Being from the East coast of America, there is hardly any areas like that left anymore, and usually you need to go out West to see that type of nature.

Kėdainiai Square

The city was wonderful, and it was great to see more of Lithuania outside of Vilnius. I plan to visit many more cities and towns during my time here, as each one is more beautiful than the last, and they all have something different to offer. This experience was one of many, and many to come, that have made me fall in love with this country.

If I’m lucky, I’ll go back to Lithuania someday. Until then, iki!

Even after nearly a month home from Lithuania, I still think about it every day. My experience interning at the US Embassy was incomparable and I really value the opportunity I had to learn about diplomacy as well as the culture, government and history of the region.

My 12-week experience in Lithuania really flew by. I stayed busy and had the opportunity to do a myriad  things, from representing the Embassy at cultural programs and outreach visits around the country, to leading discussions at movie nights, and even dancing around Vilnius for Violence against Women awareness.  I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel to several towns and cities, including Kaunas, Kėdainiai, Tytuvėnai, Panevėžys, Šiauliai, Rokiškis, Trakai, and Marijampolė. 

I saw inconceivably beautiful cathedrals, frozen lakes and rivers, astonishing forests, and fascinating museums and cultural sights. I learned about an array of things, including the path to the restoration of independence in 1990, the Jewish history, the thriving art scene that exists in Lithuania, and so much more. This internship marked my third trip to Lithuania, but I continue to learn about and love Lithuania more and more with each stay.

My favorite part of my experience in Lithuania by far was the people. There is truly something special about those who I had the opportunity to meet in Lithuania, whether it was local staff and local interns at the Embassy, the attendees of the movie nights and other events, or the numerous students and teachers that I met during outreach visits. There was a human spirit and feeling of hospitality that is unlike anywhere else. Some of my best memories are times spent with local staff at the Embassy, like spinning eggs on the floor around Easter time and even just drinking coffee and hearing their stories. 

I was provided insight about the history, language and culture that would be impossible to learn from a class or museum, and my colleagues at the Embassy really became some of my best friends by the end of it. These relationships are invaluable and they made my internship experience and time in Lithuania all the more enriching.

This was a great opportunity to expand and grow, personally, academically and professionally. What I gained while I was there was more than I could have ever imagined or wished for and I hope that all future Embassy interns and visitors to Lithuania will have a similar great experience!

If I’m lucky, I’ll go back to Lithuania someday. Until then, iki! J

// Sara

Get Ready For Futbolas!

I will not say that Americans do not like soccer, known here as 'futbolas', but it certainly is not the most popular sport in the US. The great American sport is baseball, as many people know. In the recent past, however, football (American football, that is) has come to take the spotlight in America as the sport that people go absolutely nuts over. During football season, you can't go anywhere without seeing a team's jersey. People paint their faces, their bodies, buy foam fingers...they yell and scream and cheer as if the results of the game will determine the rest of their lives!

So you can imagine my excitement when a few of my Lithuanian friends invited me out to watch the UEFA (The Union of European Football Associations) Champions League Finale, between Bayern Munich and Dortmund. Before the game, we went out to dinner and one of my friends, Karolis, was wearing a T-shirt with his favorite Bayern player on it. As he was explaining to me the importance of this game, he kept pulling his T-shirt up to kiss it over and over. This to me was not strange, it was the same as any other American who is wishing that their team will win the Superbowl. Kissing his T-shirt was just a way of showing how much he wanted Bayern to win.

A Different Kind of Fishing...

On one of my latest adventures here in Lithuania I tried something I have definitely never done before, or actually seen anywhere other than on television: ice fishing! It was a fun and fascinating experience to say the least.

Fishing is one of my favorite things to do at home. My family lives near a big lake that is split between the states of North Carolina and South Carolina. This lake is typically busy with fishermen and different fishing tournaments because it is full of big, hungry catfish. The main difference between this lake and the lake I fished on here in Lithuania is the water temperature; our lake in the Carolinas never gets below 10 degrees (or 50 degrees Fahrenheit as we would say). If there was any ice on the water we would all panic! We can fish from a boat or from the shore year-round. When I first arrived in Lithuania this January and saw the big frozen sheets of ice floating down the Neris River and the frozen Galvė Lake in Trakai, I saw no hope in continuing fishing while here. But this changed when I was passing a lake one day and saw people sitting on the ice in different places. Curious as to what they were doing I asked someone I was with, who informed me that they were ice fishing. Since then, I’ve been searching for someone who ice fishes who would be willing to take me along. I was able to find two gentlemen who frequent a small lake outside of Vilnius and were willing to take me and show me the ropes. 

Ice fishing is different than what I am used to, so I had a bit to learn when we got started. To ice fish, you have to drill a hole in the ice where you can put your fishing line and eventually where you can pull your big catch out of the water. To drill this hole, there is a special tool called an auger that turns in circles like a big screw to create a hole. Some augers come with motors, but the auger we used had to be worked by hand. When we created our hole for fishing, we used a ruler to measure how thick the ice was. It was very thick where we were fishing, a total of 38 centimeters (more than a foot)! 
After we each drilled our hole in the ice to fish through, we had to bait our hooks. For my hook, I used a few live mealworms. We hoped that since they were alive, they would grab attention and bring the fish out the depths. The poles we used were small; I’m not very tall so I’m used to my fishing pole being much taller than I am, but these were as small as my forearm. The day that we went fishing the temperature was well below zero and the wind was blowing very hard. It got so bad at times that if we got up from our chairs, they would blow over. Additionally, the holes that we were fishing in would freeze back over in minutes, so we had to use a tool to skim the new layers of ice off the top every few minutes. We sat outside in the cold and wind waiting for a bite on our hooks, but we were ultimately unsuccessful.

Overall, I do not really mind that we did not catch any fish! To have had the opportunity to try an activity that is actually completely impossible to do where I come from was a satisfying experience all on its own. I’m hoping to go ice fishing again before the ice gets too thin… I’m feeling good about our chances of catching a big fish!

English Song Contest in Tytuvėnai

On Friday, March 22, I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in one of the Embassy’s outreach programs, where six representatives from the US Embassy went to the annual English Song Contest in Tytuvėnai. This song contest brings together schools from across the Kelmė region under the overall theme, “Music Unites Us”. Students prepared songs to perform in English for a panel of judges, which this year included the three interns from the US Embassy, myself, Meredith, and Michael, as well as two music teachers from the region.

Students performed songs that they picked to be considered “Future Hits” – it was open to interpretation as to how they would each pick their song. Songs varied and included such hits as “We are the World” by Michael Jackson, “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC, and “Raise your Glass” by Pink. It was a diverse range of music, and that made it all the more fun and interesting to watch. The contest was divided into two age groups; grades 5-8 performed first, and those from 9-12 performed in the second half. The acts from both groups were so much more than I could have ever expected -the students were very talented singers and dancers, and the productions included choreographed dances and musical instruments and even costumes. It was obvious that they put a lot of time and effort into preparing, and it really made it feel like I was at a concert! At the end of the contest there was an awards ceremony, where the top three performances from each of the two age groups were recognized. Truly, every participant did an excellent job. We took a long time to come to a decision on who would be in the top three, as everyone really deserved to win considering their hard work and talent.

 

After the contest was over, we were fortunate enough to see a little bit of Tytuvėnai. Some of the students gave us a tour of the monastery in the city. The monastery was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It dated back to the 1630s – way before the United States even gained independence! The building had an unbelievable courtyard outside and striking artwork and architectural details inside. Not only was I impressed by the place itself, but also by the passion displayed by the students for the culture and the history of their city. There wasn’t a question we asked that they couldn't answer, or a fact that they didn’t present with genuine excitement. It was fun to learn from them about their region and the beautiful monastery that they were so proud to show off.

Overall, the trip to Tytuvėnai was a fun and informative experience. We learned about the region and the monastery through the student tour, and music truly did unite us at the English Song Contest. Everyone sang and danced and clapped along to the music, allowing us to have fun and laugh together, transcending cultural boundaries and language barriers.

On the Road with Ellen Cassedy!

From February 20 – March 6, PAS welcomed author and journalist Ellen Cassedy. Cassedy came to Lithuania to talk about her book “We are Here: Memories of the Lithuanian Holocaust”, which was originally published in English and has recently been published in Lithuanian. She presented her book all across Lithuania at schools, libraries, and cultural centers. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to accompany her as she spoke across the country!

In her presentations, Ellen spoke not only about her book, but brought information about the Jewish history of Lithuania and explained her story of coming to Lithuania to explore her family history and the initiatives taking place here in civil society. The rich Jewish history of Lithuania was not something that I was very familiar with before having the opportunity to hear about it from Ellen and the many historians, leaders, students, and professionals that she met with. Ellen Cassedy is Jewish and Lithuanian on her mother’s side of the family. Her relatives were in Siauliai ghetto during World War II, eventually moving to the United States when the war concluded. “We are Here: Memories of the Lithuanian Holocaust” looks at many components of Lithuanian society and history. It is a personal narrative, beginning with Cassedy’s journey to Lithuania to learn Yiddish at Vilnius University. During this exploration she discovered many things about her family history and the history of the Nazi and Soviet past in Lithuania. During the search for this information, Cassedy came across the leaders who work to explore the history, as well as work to create tolerance and understanding for the future of Lithuania. Her book describes not only her experience in Lithuania, but also these individual examples of action. In her book she writes about all of these experiences and people, looking to Lithuania’s past, present, and future.

During her presentations to students, Cassedy challenged them to think about the history of Lithuania and to consider how it can be used to create a more tolerant future; the same way that the leaders who inspired her on her first journey to Lithuania work to do. As a student myself, I was inspired by her presentations and by the work of the people who are really trying to make a difference and shape a positive future. Ellen presented information about the Lithuanian involvement in the Holocaust, as well as the action and inaction of many knowing bystanders. Cassedy challenged students not to be bystanders and to form a society where speaking up and standing up is expected. Cassedy also had several meetings with individuals and leaders across Lithuania, learning about the different initiatives taking place. These leaders work in various areas, including tolerance, education, and the preservation of history and Jewish culture. Upon returning to the United States to continue her book tour, Cassedy will have new information and examples of people who are working in Lithuania to continue moving the country forward towards tolerance, rather than backwards to times like the genocide of the twentieth century. With these examples and experiences, Cassedy will return to the United States to speak about her book, as well as the future of Lithuania, with additional insight, understanding, and hope. It was an amazing experience to be able to see Ellen Cassedy in action. Accompanying her helped me learn a lot about Lithuania, Jewish culture, and Jewish history. I’ve just started to read her book myself and so far it is very good!