ZINGERIS
A Consistent pro-Western politician
in pro-Eastern Lithuania
Emmanuel ZINGERIS is a unique person in political life of post-communist Lithuania. In considerably short period of time he made a brilliant career from an unknown university lecturer in 1988 to Vice-Chairman of the Committeee on Culture and Education of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in 1999. He was the first Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of Seimas (Parliament) of the restituted Republic of Lithuania, and he was Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights after that. These positions enabled him to essentially influence the development of Lithuania toward Western society through getting into contact with prominent Western leaders who made pressure on Lithuanian left-wingers at appropriate time.
On the other hand he is labeled as a harmful anti-Lithuanian "pro-Jewish" agent in still Anti-Semitic Lithuania by various ultra-patriots who (strange as it is) are usually pro-Russian agents in their turn. At the same time Emmanuel is labeled as a "pro-Lithuanian collaborationist" from the side of some Jewish extremists.
Emmanuel ZINGERIS was born on 16 July 1957 in Kaunas, Lithuania, in the family of Lithuanian Jewish survivors PAULINE Zingeriene, n�e Tatarski, and MICHAEL Zingeris.
After finishing Kaunas 4th secondary school in 1975, he was a student of Lithuanian literature at Vilnius university till 1982. Then he became a post-graduate student till 1986, but he was a lecturer on West-European literature at Kaunas Department of the Vilnius university in 1986 - 1988. While being Head of Judaica Department of the Book Chamber of Lithuania (1988 - 1989) Emmanuel took active part in Lithuanian liberating movement Sajudis, and he was member of the Executive Council of the Seimas of Sajudis till January 1990. Since 1990 up to present he manages the restituted Vilnius Jewish Museum.
When studying Lithuanian literature at Vilnius university in 1976 - 1981 Emmanuel fell in love in his University mate VIRGINIA Sestakauskaite. Soon Virginia became his wife. G-d blessed them with 2 marvelous kids, Dovid-Dan and Esther:
Emmanuel's political activities started in April 1990 when he became member of the Parliament of Lithuania (till 2000).
Since 1992 he was member of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (till 2000).
Emmanuel is Chairman of international Commission for the Evaluation of Crimes of the Soviet and Nazi Occupation Regimes in Lithuania (since 1998 to present).
During 15 years of his activities he succeeded:
� to carry out the main work in restituting Lithuanian Jewish Community, of which he was the first
Chairman;
� to restitute the Jewish Museum in Lithuania (now Vilner Gaon Jewish Museum) of which he has been
Director up to present from the very beginning;
� to essentially contribute to forming the diplomatic corps of the Republic of Lithuania, when being
the first Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs;
� to become Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Culture of Education of the Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly;
� to create European Institute for Dispersed Ethnic Minorities, the first international organization
under the auspices of the Council of Europe in Baltic countries;
� to influence progress in Lithuanian�American relations by contributing to the creation of a civil
society in Lithuania, when being Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, as well
as to the process of reconcilement between the Jews and the Lithuanians, especially when he had
succeeded
� to organize International Commission on Evaluation of Crimes of the Soviet and Nazi occupation
Regimes in Lithuania;
� to organize restoration of the building of the pre-war Jewish Theater, as a new building of Vilner
Gaon Jewish Museum, and to place Embassy of the European Commission in part of this building;
� to establish the Center for Tolerance in the new building of Vilner Gaon Jewish Museum, where
international meetings and conferences under the guidance of leading politicians are convened and
where performances of Jewish actors and troops take place;
� to establish Foundation for the Support of the Jewish Cultural Heritage in Lithuania;
� to initiate the project of restoring Jewish Quarters of the Old Town of Vilnius.
During 17 years of his political and public activities Emmanuel was rewarded in different ways by various prizes and certificates.
The most significant signs of his recognition are 2:
1) The Commandor Chain of the Lithuanian Order of Gediminas of the 3rd Class in 1998,
2) The German Cross for the Federal Deserts of the 1st Class in August 2003.