Lithuania: Jewish stall at Kaziukas Fair offers shoppers opportunity to haggle over prices

The local Jewish community might support or be involved in this, but it sounds wrong.

Via JTA:

The Jewish presence at the March 4-6 Kaziukas Fair — a large annual Lithuanian folk arts and crafts event dating back to 1604 — will include a stand where shoppers can haggle over prices, the news portal www.zw.lt reported last week based on an interview with Algis Gurevicius, director of the Lithuania state’s Jewish Culture and Information Center.

“In the Jewish area, prices will include VAT, and there will also be the opportunity to bargain,” Gurevicius said, adding: “”Probably, no one will deny that it was the Jews who taught Lithuanians trade.” In the 19th century, Vilnius alone had 70 Jewish guilds, the news site 15min.lt quoted him as saying.

The Jewish area at the Kaziukas Fair will offer Jewish music concerts featuring the dance ensemble “Fajerlech” and will feature Jewish cuisine. The local Jewish community is involved in operating the Jewish corner at the fair, Gurevicius said. The market will have 500 stand operators from 16 countries.

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