The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation (AJCF) has issued a strong condemnation of the Lithuanian government’s recent decision to move forward with construction on the historic Šnipiškės (Piramónt) Jewish Cemetery in Vilnius. This site, which dates back to the 15th century, served as the final resting place for thousands of Lithuanian Jews, including esteemed rabbis, scholars, and community leaders.
The foundation criticizes the Lithuanian government’s reversal of its previous commitment to protect the cemetery, describing it as a violation of international trust and an affront to Jewish memory. “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,” stated AJCF Chairman Simon Bergson. He emphasized that cemeteries are eternal resting places and that this betrayal resonates far beyond Lithuania, undermining the commitment to preserve Jewish memory.
Historically known as the “Jerusalem of the North,” Vilnius was once a vibrant hub of Jewish intellectual, spiritual, and cultural life before the tragic events of the Holocaust. The Šnipiškės Cemetery remains one of the last tangible links to this storied past, and its destruction would represent an irreversible act of historical erasure.
AJCF Director General Jack Simony added, “Lithuania once vowed to protect the Vilnius cemetery and honor it as a place of remembrance. 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.”
In response to this situation, the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation is calling on UNESCO to designate the Šnipiškės Cemetery as a protected heritage site under international law. The organization urges the European Union to hold Lithuania accountable for its prior commitments and responsibilities regarding the preservation of cultural and historical memory.
Furthermore, AJCF is appealing to the U.S. government to engage diplomatically to safeguard Jewish cemeteries overseas, ensuring the protection of this significant site.
The foundation encourages global civil society—including Jewish and non-Jewish organizations, educators, religious leaders, and human rights advocates—to raise their voices for the preservation of this sacred ground. “Vilnius must decide whether it will be remembered as a guardian of memory or as a force of its destruction,” Simony concluded. “We cannot allow silence to pave over sacred ground. This is not only a Jewish issue. It is a human issue. History is watching.”
