Liova Kaplan. Recipe for murder

Many Jews visit Lithuania to tour the paths of the slaughter of our families, also known as death tourism. Lithuania has much to offer tourists; forests, lakes, an extraordinary number of death-pits containing our murdered Jewish families, cool summers, lovely open parks, destroyed Jewish heritage, and foods we Jews remember from our childhood, including potato latkes with sour cream, smoked salmon, pickled herring, kishke, kugel and potato kneidels. These food recipes are originally Jewish recipes, appropriated by Lithuania, and now claimed as theirs. Visiting Lithuania is almost akin to taking a step back in time, just, without living Jews. The sights, smells, recipes and foods are reminiscent of our grandparents before they were slaughtered. Some Jewish heritage remains, and plenty of Lithuanian heritage is intact.

Those visiting Lithuania will be only slightly surprised to discover another unpleasant heritage recipe – a recipe for murder!. And not just a plain recipe, but a recipe officially, legally, and governmentally registered in the official Lithuanian „Register of Folk Heritage“! It should be absurd and unbelievable, but, unfortunately, it’s true.

Lithuanian Parliament member, Remigijus Žemaitaitis, re-popularized this Lithuanian National Folk Heritage „recipe“ in his election campaign, provoking it to win in excess of 15% of the national vote in Lithuania’s most recent election. The wording of this heritage „recipe“ is:

A JEW IS CLIMBING THE LADDER

BUT SUDDENLY HE FALLS

CHILDREN! TAKE A WOODEN STICK

AND KILL THE JEW

Promoting and re-popularizing Lithuania’s long heritage and tradition of annihilationist antisemitism, Žemaitaitis also propagated many other antisemitic statements and, later, even sent to me by email, personally and directly, Lithuania’s „recipe“ for murder. As a Jew who does not have „trembling knees“, I filed a formal, legal complaint with the Prosecutor General’s Office of Lithuania, for his directed, personalized hate, targeted at me simply because I am a Jew.

On Shabbat, November 23, 2024, I received my legal response - The Lithuanian Police refused to prosecute a case. Their stated reasons:

1. The „recipe“ is a protected Lithuanian Folk Heritage song.

2. The „recipe“ was emailed to me privately, and ONLY one time.

3. Other EU countries also have similar traditional folk heritage

The Lithuanian authorities did acknowledge that the rhyme has „antisemitic tendencies“ (murdering Jews might well fit that bill!), just as they previously admitted that their national hero, Kazys Skirpa, showed an antisemitic tendency when he called for the „elimination“ of Jews before the Lithuanian Holocaust. At Skirpa’s instigation, many Lithuanians collaborated with Nazi’s to murder 220,000 Jews in Lithuania. But, these tendencies are supposedly a „heritage“ right, and apparently, according to Lithuanian Police, not prosecutable. Lithuania is strange that way – not one single Lithuanian Holocaust perpetrator was ever punished by Lithuania. 220,000 Jewish murder victims are apparently ascribed to „tendencies“ or „heritage“, and many of the murderers of Jews are currently officially, legally and governmentally recognized as Lithuania’s national heroes.

The police admission that antisemitism is a feature of Lithuanian National Heritage, is an admission that Lithuania has not yet evolved. The 1930’s are back in vogue, the difference in Lithuania now, is, all their Jews have already been murdered. But the „tendency“ remains intact. Heritage and tradition rule!

Bon appetite!

About the Author

Liova Kaplan is a citizen of the USA, Israel, and Lithuania. He was on the faculty of American University, the Levin School of Music, and Mannes College Preparatory, and he is the founder of the Washington Conservatory in DC. Mr. Kaplan resides in Israel and Lithuania.