Rabbi
Yisrael Rosenson of Efrata Teachers College says that he
can understand why Dr. Efraim Zuroff, head of the Jerusalem
branch of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, would take exception
to his opinion that something has changed - for the better
- in the attitude of the Lithuanian people to the Jews. "But after years of research and experience, I really do think that this change
is real," he told Israel National News.
In a discussion that has brought to the fore what is still clearly an open wound
in the soul of the Jewish people, Rabbi Ronsenson, in an
interview last week, said that after years of researching
the country's role in the Holocaust and leading groups on
historical tours of the country, he could sense that a major
change had taken place, at least among certain segments of
the Lithuanian people.
Pointing to several research institutions dedicated to Holocaust research, an
annual Holocaust Memorial Day, and an apology by the Lithuanian
government over a decade ago for its role in the Holocaust,
Rabbi Rosenson said that "it seems to me that at least some elements of the country's society are making
a very sincere effort to reevaluate their behavior, to make
an honest accounting of their crimes against the Jews." Lithuania, he said, extends much honor to those who helped protect Jews during
the Holocaust, and the country maintains an embassy in Israel,
despite the fact that it costs a great deal of money, and
that Lithuania has no diplomatic interest in the Middle East.
(for the full interview, click here.)
Taking angry exception to this view
was Dr. Zuroff, who wrote an op-ed in response for INN, insisting
that Lithuania has not only not changed - but that it is
cynically using Jewish suffering during the Holocaust to
present itself as the victim of the Soviet Communist occupation
that lasted from the conclusion of World War II until 1990.
The country's Holocaust research institutions consistently
ignore Jewish suffering, and their main purpose seems to
be promotion of the "Prague Declaration" - which equates the suffering of the Lithuanians under Communism with the victims
of Nazism (ignoring, of course, the eager assistance Lithuania
provided the Nazis in killing Jews) - and does everything
in its power to resist putting its own Holocaust-era war
criminals on trial.
In response to charges raised by Zuroff's
question regarding Lithuanian government funding of the certificate
program for Teaching the Holocaust and its Commemoration
at the Efrata College, and tours to areas of Jewish life
and learning in Lithuania and Bielorussia, Prof. Yisrael
Rozenson resplied, "Nonsense" and clearly notes the patently libelous nature of these charges. "I wish to state that neither I, the Lithuanian history program, nor the Efrata
Teacher's College has ever received any funding whatsoever
from any organization, group, or fund connected even remotely
with the Lithuanian government. The history program is partially
funded by the Claims Conference, which funds many similar
such programs for other organizations."
Jewish life and the story of the great
Yeshivas in the Baltic States are a rich source of subject
matter for history classes in their own right, and constitute
the main thrust of Rosenson's life work and research. Furthermore,
he requests a clear statement from Zuroff rescinding his
question and its inferences, unrelated to the argument on
the difference of their opinions.
Prof. Rosenson emphasized that . "I
respect Dr. Zuroff for all his work. He is a world-recognized
trailblazer in bringing Nazi war criminals to justice. I
can understand how he would disagree with my opinions.
"Nevertheless," he
said, "I, too have had many experiences with the Lithuanian people, and it is difficult
to say that nothing has changed. Certainly things are not
the same as they were during the Holocaust, or even during
the Communist era. New realities and conditions have emerged
in Lithuania, and while we cannot - and must not - forget
what they did to us, we cannot ignore these changes. If Israel
can have a dialogue with Ukraine, and with Germany itself,
it can have one with Lithuania.
Rosenson says, adding that "with
that, I wish to reiterate that I have the utmost respect
for Dr. Zuroff and his views, which he is certainly entitled
to - as I am entitled to mine."
israelnationalnews.com
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