How Lithuania celebrated the mass murderer of its Jewish Citizens by honoring their Nazi murderers.
While searching for justice for the murder of his family, Grant Gochin received a call from Silvia Foti, the granddaughter of the Lithuania Nazi who murdered his family. Meet Grant, Silvia and director Michael Kretzmer as we invite you to this exclusive premier of J’ACCUSE! What would you do if you discovered that your grandfather, a national hero in Lithuania, was also a genocidal Holocaust killer of Jews? Would you keep quiet or expose the truth?
This controversial documentary exposes Lithuania’s policy of Holocaust denial, and its celebration of the perpetrators of the genocide of its Jewish citizens. This is a unique opportunity to view the documentary in full, and meet the filmmakers and heroes of this ground-breaking story.
Given the dramatic title of this documentary – borrowed from Emile Zola’s attention-grabbing headline relating to the Dreyfus Trial – the audience could be forgiven for expecting a revelation, or at least some new analysis leading to a deeper understanding of the greatest tragedy of the 20th century. Regrettably, you may be disappointed. The rising tide of Anti Semitism is proof that while horrific images of human suffering and stories of personal tragedy will elicit a strong emotional response, they do not explain or cure the scourge. The video efforts of General Eisenhower, who filmed the liberation of Auschwitz, and Steven Spielberg who told the story of Oskar Schindler, and now J’Accuse, are just as ineffective as the efforts of Philo who led the delegation of Jews to Rome after the pogrom in Alexandria in 38 AD. The cliché has it that those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it. My generation is uniquely blessed to have all the facts required to re-engineer the cultural genetics which have enabled this social predisposition to pass from one generation to the next. Unfortunately, the cure is equally applicable to our own Jewish belief system. But perhaps it is time for a new Josiah(s) to reconcile and re edit: To reconcile our beliefs with the lessons of 21st century scholarship. In particular, the facts relating to human minds in the composition and compilation of Jewish and Christian cannon. Also, with the logical conclusion which explains the silence which answered the prayers of the victims. And a re-edit to simplify and amplify the message of Abraham and the binding of Isaac, and the jurisprudence of Moses which underpins the Constitution of the United States. The greatest human tragedy of the 20th is deserving of an equally measured response.
A brilliant, heart-wrenching documentary. I pray the world sees it and believes it. It amazes me that there is so much Holocaust denial.
I am saddened that once again the world, rather than learning from history, is allowing dictators to control and manipulate our lives.
There was a documentary called SHOAR many years ago about killing of Jews,and the local population
moving into,and taking over their homes..
The locals reported who were Jews so that they could become the owners of the Jewish homes
Do any of your viewers know about this documentary
A belated reply but nevertheless the documentary was called “Shoah”, released in 1985 and was directed by the French director Claude Lanzmann. Lanzmann spent 11 years conducting interviews with victims, perpetrators and bystanders during the Holocaust in Poland. An epic documentary which is over 9 hours long, it is obligatory viewing for anybody wanting more insight from first-hand accounts of people who were there at the time.
There are some scenes still seared into my memory like the little Jewish boy in Poland whom the Germans befriended and taught the Nazi marching song, “Wenn Wir Marschieren”. Another was a barber at Treblinka who encountered the wife and sister of a good friend who were having their hair cut before being forced into the gas chamber. They asked him what was going to happen but he could not bring himself to tell them the truth. An absolute must-see for any student or person interested in the Holocaust but not easy or pleasant viewing for obvious reasons.
Choni Davidowitz
Jan 20, 2023 at 11:08 am
How sickedly ironic that so many Jews seek lithuanian citizenship.
William Freedman
Jan 21, 2023 at 5:04 pm
Given the dramatic title of this documentary – borrowed from Emile Zola’s attention-grabbing headline relating to the Dreyfus Trial – the audience could be forgiven for expecting a revelation, or at least some new analysis leading to a deeper understanding of the greatest tragedy of the 20th century. Regrettably, you may be disappointed. The rising tide of Anti Semitism is proof that while horrific images of human suffering and stories of personal tragedy will elicit a strong emotional response, they do not explain or cure the scourge. The video efforts of General Eisenhower, who filmed the liberation of Auschwitz, and Steven Spielberg who told the story of Oskar Schindler, and now J’Accuse, are just as ineffective as the efforts of Philo who led the delegation of Jews to Rome after the pogrom in Alexandria in 38 AD. The cliché has it that those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it. My generation is uniquely blessed to have all the facts required to re-engineer the cultural genetics which have enabled this social predisposition to pass from one generation to the next. Unfortunately, the cure is equally applicable to our own Jewish belief system. But perhaps it is time for a new Josiah(s) to reconcile and re edit: To reconcile our beliefs with the lessons of 21st century scholarship. In particular, the facts relating to human minds in the composition and compilation of Jewish and Christian cannon. Also, with the logical conclusion which explains the silence which answered the prayers of the victims. And a re-edit to simplify and amplify the message of Abraham and the binding of Isaac, and the jurisprudence of Moses which underpins the Constitution of the United States. The greatest human tragedy of the 20th is deserving of an equally measured response.
Roz Solomon
Jan 24, 2023 at 10:44 pm
A brilliant, heart-wrenching documentary. I pray the world sees it and believes it. It amazes me that there is so much Holocaust denial.
I am saddened that once again the world, rather than learning from history, is allowing dictators to control and manipulate our lives.
Robert Lieberman
Jan 25, 2023 at 5:16 pm
There was a documentary called SHOAR many years ago about killing of Jews,and the local population
moving into,and taking over their homes..
The locals reported who were Jews so that they could become the owners of the Jewish homes
Do any of your viewers know about this documentary
Peter Bernstein
Jun 4, 2023 at 9:15 am
A belated reply but nevertheless the documentary was called “Shoah”, released in 1985 and was directed by the French director Claude Lanzmann. Lanzmann spent 11 years conducting interviews with victims, perpetrators and bystanders during the Holocaust in Poland. An epic documentary which is over 9 hours long, it is obligatory viewing for anybody wanting more insight from first-hand accounts of people who were there at the time.
There are some scenes still seared into my memory like the little Jewish boy in Poland whom the Germans befriended and taught the Nazi marching song, “Wenn Wir Marschieren”. Another was a barber at Treblinka who encountered the wife and sister of a good friend who were having their hair cut before being forced into the gas chamber. They asked him what was going to happen but he could not bring himself to tell them the truth. An absolute must-see for any student or person interested in the Holocaust but not easy or pleasant viewing for obvious reasons.