In his congratulatory message, Butkevičius says that Lithuania's future is only possible with a prospering and fully functional Jewish community, noting its contribution to the rebuilding of the Lithuanian independence.
"The rebirth of Lithuania took place at the same time as another event – Lithuania rediscovered its Jewish Community that had been alive for many decades after the war. We did not only discover our Jewish neighbors but also their aspiration to be a beautiful and unique part of Lithuania, their aspiration to be what they were born to be – Jews," the government said in a press release cited by the press service.
According to the press release, Alperavičius headed the Jewish community for more than two decades since 1992.
