I thank you with all my heart for the overwhelming response. Thanks to YOU, the sacred cause of saving the old Vilna Jewish cemetery is now being discussed among the high and powerful in Vilnius, London, Washington and Jerusalem. A number of brave politicians and journalists right here, non-Jewish Lithuanians who take pride in our nation's integrity, have begun to investigate the vast financial and moral corruption inherent in the "convention center in the old Jewish cemetery" project. But there is a way to go. FIRST: we need more signatures. Let us all together, I ask, work on spreading the word to bring the grand total to 50,000 signatures! Perhaps you can circulate the petition to more synagogues, schools, organizations, friends and family? SECONDLY: we now urgently need political pressure in the United States. Unfortunately the US agency that was created to "preserve" minority cemeteries abroad (particularly right here in Eastern Europe!) has come under the influence, it seems, of some of the most corrupt groups who actually have a vested financial interest in the convention center project going ahead in the middle of the sacred old Vilna Jewish cemetery. That agency is the "United States Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad" (or USCPAHA) which is also mired in deep conflicts of interest (it's own member who is the expert on the cemetery also sits on a number of Lithuanian gov. financed boards to disburse money (money that derives from the religious Jewish properties of the murdered Jewish communities!) for "Jewish causes", and those boards are themselves sinking in scandals). Whether mentioning this agency or not, PLEASE, PLEASE, CAN YOU WRITE TO YOUR CONGRESSMAN OR OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS ASKING THEM TO WRITE TO THE PRESIDENT OF LITHUANIA ASKING FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER PROJECT TO BE MOVED AWAY FROM THE OLD JEWISH CEMETERY, linking also to our petition here? Thank you with all my heart, may you and your loved ones be blessed with long life, health and every success for participating in this great mitzvah, and a wonderful day ahead. Yours, as ever, Ruta (Reyzke) Bloshtein. PS: Some important media coverage of these matters: http://defendinghistory.com/a-year-a-month-since-us-commission-on-heritage-abroad-uscpaha-reported-to-satmar-rebba/86546 http://defendinghistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/FRYSHMAN-20162-2.pdf http://5tjt.com/london-cpjce-spokesman-proclaims-a-soviet-ruin-in-vilnius-to-be-lithuanias-london-tower-and-its-statue-of-liberty/ http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2017/2/23/jewish-leaders-fight-preserve-lithuanian-cemetery http://www.jta.org/2017/02/21/news-opinion/world/report-lithuania-reconsiders-plans-to-build-atop-former-jewish-cemetery http://defendinghistory.com/ethical-cultural-level-of-admas-kodesh-cpjce-that-is-revered-by-taxpayer-supported-uscpaha/86757