On June 6, a monument to Rabbi Israel (Lipkin) Salanter, who was born 210 years ago in Žagarė, was unveiled in Žagarė (Joniškis district).
A monument to the Rabbi born in Žagarė was unveiled on Sunday on the central square of Žagarė. In the 19th century, Žagarė was known as the center of Jewish culture. According to Sania Kerbel, chairman of the Šiauliai County Jewish community, this man started the Musar movement in Lithuania. The philosophical idea of this movement is to know yourself and keep getting better throughout life. The movement started by Israel Salanter had many followers in Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, and Poland. Musar’s ideas were also taken over by Kaunas Vilijampolė Yeshiva and Kelmė as well as Telšiai Yeshiva. Member of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania Stasys Tumėnas, Joniškis District Mayor Vitalijus Gailius, Ambassador of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Marius Janukonis, members of the Šiauliai County Jewish Community, representatives of the Kaunas Jewish Religious Community, Chairman of the Ukmergė Jewish Community, a guest from abroad – a member of the European Rabbinical Conference, a representative of the International Commission Secretariat and guests from the local community. The author of the monument to Rabbi Salanter – Vaidotas Janulis – also took part in the event.
The guests who spoke at the event emphasized that it is good that the manifestations of Jewish culture are increasing all over Lithuania, although there are still not enough of them and many things about the Jews, whose significant contribution was to science, are not widely known.
The event was organized by the Jewish community of Šiauliai County.
