| Lithuanian Jews |
Article Index for Lithuanian |
Website Links For Lithuanian |
Information AboutLithuanian Jews |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT LITHUANIAN JEWS | |
| lithuanian jewslithuanian jews | |
| jews and judaism in lithuania | |
| jews by country | |
| lithuanian people | |
| jews | |
|
Lita was historically home to a large and influential Jewish community that was almost entirely eliminated during , the United States and South Africa . ETYMOLOGY The word ''Litvish'' means "Lithuanian" in Yiddish . ( Latvian Jews were known as Lettishe). Of main Yiddish Dialects in Europe, the Litvishe Yiddish ( Lithuanian Yiddish ) dialect was spoken by Jews in Lithuania , Latvia , and Belarus , and in the northeastern Suwałki region of Poland . Official institutions such as YIVO regard it as the standard form of Yiddish. ETHNICITY, RELIGIOUS CUSTOMS AND HERITAGE The characteristically "Lithuanian" approach to Judaism was marked by a concentration on highly intellectual Talmud study. Lithuania became the heartland of the traditionalist opposition to Hasidism , to the extent that in popular perception "Lithuanian" and " Mitnagged " became virtually interchangeable terms. In fact, however, a sizable minority of Lithuanian Jews belong(ed) to Hasidic groups, including Chabad , Slonim , Karlin ( Pinsk ) and Koidanov . With the spread of the Enlightenment , many Lithuanian Jews became devotees of the '' Haskala '' movement in Eastern Europe , and today many leading academics, scientists and philosophers are of Lithuanian Jewish descent. Lithuanian Jews are known in Yiddish as ''Litvak'' (noun) or ''Litvisher'' (adjective), or in Hebrew as ''Litaim''. These terms are often used loosely to include those who follow the Lithuanian approach to Judaism (for example because they have attended Lithuanian-style yeshivas), whether or not their ancestors actually came from Lithuania: it seems that "Lithuanian-ness" can be transmitted spiritually as well as genetically. The most famous Lithuanian institution of Jewish learning was Volozhin Yeshiva , which was the model for most later Yeshiva s. "Lithuanian" Yeshiva s in existence today include Ponevezh , Telshe , Mir , Kelm , and Slabodka . In theoretical Talmud study, the leading Lithuanian authorities were Chaim Soloveitchik and the Brisker school; rival approaches were those of the Mir and Telshe Yeshiva s. In practical Halakha the Lithuanians traditionally followed the Aruch HaShulchan , though today many prefer the more popular Mishnah Berurah . CULTURE Litvaks have an identifiable mode of pronouncing Hebrew and Yiddish which is often used to determine the boundaries of Lita. Its most characteristic feature is the pronunciation of the vowel Holam as (as against Sephardic /ō/, Germanic [au and Polish [oy]). In the popular preception, Litvaks were considered to be more intellectual and stoic than their rivals, the Galitzianers , who thought of them as cold fish. They, in turn, disdained Galitzianers as irrational and uneducated. Ira Steingroot's "Yiddish Knowledge Cards" devote a card to this "Ashkenazi version of the Hatfields and McCoys." "Yiddish Knowledge Cards" This difference is of course connected with the Hasidic/mitnagged debate, Hasidism being considered the more emotional and spontaneous form of religious expression. The two groups differed not only in their attitudes and their pronunciation, but also in their Cuisine . The Galitzianers were known for rich, heavily sweetened dishes vs. the plainer, more savory Litvisher versions, with the boundary known as the " Gefilte Fish Line." This is no fish tale: Gefilte tastes tell story of ancestry THE VILNA GAON , known as the Vilna Gaon .]] Rabbi Elijah Ben Shlomo Zalman Of Vilnius ZT"L was one of the most influential Rabbinic authorities and is the most widely recognized Jewish spiritual leader associated with Lithuania. "The Vilna Gaon" was born in Vilnius and his place of burial is there as well. His burial site was recently renovated by Chabad of Vilnius' Rabbi Sholom Krinsky. CURRENT LEADERS Some famous leaders alive in 2007 include:
JEWS IN LITHUANIA TODAY Interest among descendants of Lithuanian Jews has spurred tourism and a renewal in research and preservation of the community's historic resources and possessions. Increasing numbers of Lithuanian Jews are interested in learning and practising the use of Yiddish.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/6303057.stm Lithuanian Jews revive Yiddish] The beginning of the 21st century was marked by conflicts between members of Chabad-Lubavitch and secular leaders. In 2005, Chief Rabbi Sholom Ber Krinsky was physically removed from the Synagogue by two men hired by the community's secular leader Mr. Alperovich, who then declared a new Chief Rabbi . International Religious Freedom Report Among notable contemporary Lithuanian Jews are the brothers Emanuelis Zingeris (a member of the Lithuanian Seimas ) and Markas Zingeris (writer), Arkadijus Vinokuras (actor, publicist), Gercas Žakas (football referee), Bilas ( Gidonas Šapiro ) (pop-singer from ŽAS ), Dovydas Bluvšteinas (music producer), Leonidas Donskis (philosopher, essayist), Icchokas Meras (writer), Grigorijus Kanovičius (writer), Aleksas Lemanas (singer). FAMOUS JEWS WITH LITHUANIAN ORIGIN OR PARENTAGE
The following have roots in Latvia :
FOOTNOTES SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
FURTHER READING
|
|
|