TE15 Lithuanian Honey Cake

Irena: Life Should Be Clear

The Jewish Lithuanian writers Grigory Kanovich and Icchokas Meras wrote about the Holocaust, but I believe it is very important that ethnic Lithuanians also remember that tragic page in the country’s history— that they attempt to understand what happened. 24 I too am a Lithuanian, but one of Jewish ethnicity. For that reason, it is always easy to accuse me of being biased. That is why I generally avoid speaking about the Holocaust, and do not bring up this topic unless I am asked about it directly. I was very struck by your thought that it is not only the work of historians, but also of artists, that is important when we are speaking about the common tragedy that befell the Jews and the Lithuanians. And I greatly value that you just said the “common” tragedy of the Jews and the Lithuanians. In making that point I wish to recall the writer and dissident Vasilij Aksionov’s mother ’s, Jevgenija Ginzburg ’s 24 Grigory Kanovich (b. 1929)—Lithuanian and Israeli writer, author of numerous books and stories in Russian about Litvak culture and history, the tragedy of the Holocaust, and how it destroyed the world of Lithuania’s Jews. Icchokas Meras (1934–2014)—Lithuanian writer. His novel Lygiosios trunka akimirką (Vaga, 1968; Eng. trans. Jonas Zdanys: Stalemate: A novel, New York: Other Press, 2005 ) is recognised as one of the great works of Holocaust literature.

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