Projects for School and University Students

On October 1, 2025, Dr. Igor Shchupak gave a lecture for students of the History Faculty of Y. Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University on the: “There is no pain of someone else people. The Holocaust in the context of other genocides.” The event was held as part of a joint project of the Tkuma Institute, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine, and the Yad Vashem Memorial Institute of Catastrophe and Heroism (Israel) “Holocaust studies in Ukraine for the formation the atmosphere of tolerance".

During the meeting, Igor Shchupak revealed complex aspects of the history of the Holocaust, its place among other genocides of the 20th century, in particular, the Holodomor, deportations of the peoples of Crimea and other mass crimes of totalitarian regimes. An important topic was the conversation about the moral choice of a person in conditions of evil - on the example of the Righteous Among the Nations, who, risking their own lives, saved Jews during Nazi persecution.

Special attention was paid to the parallels between the genocides of the past and the current Russian war against Ukraine, as the attempts to destroy the Ukrainian people, their culture and their right to exist have the features of crimes that the world has already seen in the 20th century. That is why studying the history of the Holocaust and other genocides is important for realizing responsibility, counteracting hate speech and preserving humanity even in times of war.

“I was deeply impressed by the interest of the students, their attentiveness and readiness for a serious conversation about values, memory and responsibility,” noted Igor Shchupak. “And also – the especially friendly atmosphere in the audience and the activity of the listeners, who asked many questions and participated in the discussion, which continued after the lecture. Such meetings remind us that despite the war, we retain the main thing – the desire for truth, knowledge and humanity.”

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