A sister city of Chicago - Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, will soon mark 700 years since it was established in 1323. Just 700 years ago, Gediminas, the Grand Duke of Lithuania sent seven letters to Europe inviting craftsmen, merchants, knights and farmers to come to Lithuania. In one of them, the ruler mentioned Vilnius, the state’s capital, for the first time. The letters reached their intended recipients and city life soon became part of European history. According to historians, this was also the beginning of Jewish settlement in Lithuania. Vilnius developed as a uniquely dynamic and multicultural city where Jewish heritage was an integral part of its culture and history.
To celebrate centuries of Lithuanian - Jewish tradition and to remember 300 years of the great Vilna Gaon, please join us for a concert:
Thursday, June 16 at 7:00 PM
DePaul University School of Music
Holtschneider Performance Center
Gannon Concert Hall
2330 N Halsted St, Chicago
Featuring Dainava Lithuanian Chorale and Rafailas Karpis, tenor, Lithuanian National Opera. The premiere of a specially commissioned piece “Wagon of Shoes” by Chicago composer Lee R. Kesselman will be presented along with a program of Lithuanian and Jewish songs. The evening will include a viewing of the exhibition “Books Do Not Grow on Trees: Saving and Transmitting Memory” from Vilna Gaon Museum of Jewish History.
Event is free and open to the public.
Discounted parking is available at the following garages->>
To RSVP and for more information: ieva.dilyte@urm.lt
All guests must present ID and proof of vaccination against COVID-19, or a negative test result taken within 72 hrs (can be rapid test, not only PCR).
Program is organized by the Consulate General of Lithuania in Chicago in partnership with Dainava Lithuanian Chorale. Supported by the Lithuanian Foundation and Consulate General of Lithuania in Chicago.
