Jews,Lithuanians and the Holocaust

The Nazi occupation of Lithuania led to the brutal destruction of most of Lithuania's Jews.The Lithuanian Jewish community in its language and culture had been an historically unique ethnic group in Lithuania,with a large presence in the country's economic life.Lithuanians and Jews had lived together and gotten along together for hundreds of years.The core of this book is the tragedy of the Jews of Lithuania as a whole,and the tragedy of the Jews of individual Lithuanian locakes during the Holocaust.The book examines the Lithuanian - Jews relationship,Lithuanian cultural and economic anti - Semitism,stereotypes,and the role of Nazi collaborators.The relationship of Lithuanian post - Holocaust society with the tragic events of the war is also looked at.The author seeks to outline the attempts of Lithuanian society to comprehend the fact of collaboration with the Nazis ant the tragic nature of common loss.He reviews the painful dialogue between Jews and Lithuanians on what happened during the war and why these events happened.Even today,old anti - Jewish stereotypes and superstitions still impact these questions.Nevertheless,the light of truth in the complex history of Lithuania over the past century is changing old and inaccurate attitudes and is revealing an understanding of common history,a comprehension of indentity and common loss,and a sense of moral responsibility.