A delegation of prominent roshei yeshivos from the US arrived
in Vilna recently to try to halt construction work on the
site of an ancient Jewish cemetery in the city, after it was
discovered that the authorities desecrated 700 graves and
plan to raze the remaining graves in order to build a large
business and tourism center.
The delegation includes HaRav Malkiel Kotler, rosh yeshiva of
Yeshivas Lakewood, HaRav Chaim Dov Keller, rosh yeshiva of
Yeshivas Telz-Chicago, and HaRav Osher Kalmanovitz, one of
the roshei yeshiva of Yeshivas Mir-New York. Upon their
arrival in Vilna the delegation members began a round of
meetings with ranking local leaders as part of their
concerted efforts to put a stop to the building project at
the cemetery, where gedolei hadoros from Vilna lie
buried.
Fifteen years ago the local government, in cooperation with
business magnates, formed a plan for a major business and
tourism project on the portion of the cemetery still
remaining after a stadium was built on it. Then in 5758
(1998) the Lithuanian authorities conducted experimental
digging to determine whether graves really lay buried
underneath the gardens, walkways and plazas currently on the
site. The archaeologists and anthropologists who performed
the digging uncovered 63 graves, which were proven beyond a
doubt to be Jewish graves.
When the authorities then contacted the Jewish community to
transfer the graves, Jewish figures launched a major campaign
to prevent the cemetery from being unearthed. A delegation of
rabbonim appointed by Maran HaRav Eliashiv, shlita,
traveled to Vilna in 5759 (1999), inspected the site and held
a series of meetings with municipal and national government
officials. At these meetings the rabbonim learned that the
authorities were resolute in their intentions to go through
with the construction project, but the rabbonim stood firm in
denying their request to have the graves transferred to
another location.
One year ago the authorities decided to push forward with
their plan, quietly disinterring 700 bodies and reburying
them in a mass grave in a very small area of Vilna's new
Jewish cemetery.
Now hundreds of graves not yet unearthed are in danger of
being desecrated. The roshei yeshivos who traveled from the
US paid a visit to the grave site of HaRav Chaim Ozer
Grodzensky on his yahrtzeit, the 5th of Av. HaRav
Grodzensky zt"l himself worked extensively to prevent
the desecration and destruction of the ancient cemetery. The
delegates were also scheduled to meet with the US Ambassador
to Lithuania and to include him in the international Jewish
campaign to halt the destruction of the ancient cemetery.
