Chairwoman of the Jewish community of Lithuania Faina Kukliansky was awarded the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
With this award, she was honoured for, as stated in the press release, her “tireless nurturing of the memory of Lithuanian Jews who became victims of the Holocaust, as well as long-term determined efforts to mobilise the Lithuanian Jewish community and strengthen its role on the national and international scale.”
The report stated that “without the contribution of Faina Kukliansky, the progress of the historical memory of the entire Lithuanian society related to the Holocaust and the participation of some Lithuanians in it is unimaginable.”
Faina Kukliansky came from a family of Lithuanian Jews who survived the Holocaust and lived in the Veisiejai shtetl. Her grandmother was killed in the Holocaust, while her father managed to survive. Her mother’s whole family also suffered during this tragedy. Faina Kukliansky had a legal education and worked as a lawyer. She also served as chairperson of the Vilnius Jewish community.
German Ambassador to Lithuania Dr. Cornelius Zimmermann emphasised: “Germany’s historical responsibility for the Holocaust, this barbaric crime against humanity, during which Lithuania lost more than 95 percent of its Jewish population, remains forever. Therefore, we are especially grateful to Faina Kukliansky for her trust and open cooperation in nurturing Jewish memory, modern culture, and looking to the future with hope.”
Kukliansky was awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order “For Merit to Lithuania,” honoured by the YIVO Jewish Scientific Research Institute for her efforts in strengthening the Jewish community in Lithuania, and received the Star of Lithuanian Diplomacy. The Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany was awarded to F. Kukliansky at the German Ambassador’s residence in the presence of invited guests.