“There
Is No Other’s Pain”
Rememberence Ceremony Devoted to the Holocaust Day
On April 16th,
2007 “Tkuma” (“Renascence”) All-Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies has
conducted remembrance activities devoted to the Holocaust Day, which
commemorates six million Jews, exterminated by Nazis during WWII.
Holocaust Day is
commemorated on 27th day of Nisan month according to the Jewish
calendar. On this day in 1943 there have been the revolt in Warsaw ghetto which
nowadays considered as a symbol of Jews’ resistance.
On April 19, 1943 German
military units using artillery and armored cars has commenced the ghetto
destruction and its inhabitants extermination. During five weeks ghetto
defenders had been putting up heroic resistance to outnumbered and armed enemy
forces. Warsaw ghetto destruction has been finished on May 16th, 1943.
Tkuma
Center jointly with Dnipropetrovsk Jewish Community, Agency “Sohnut” and
Dnipropetrovsk Jewish Community Center has taken active part in remembrance
event and ceremonial flowers laying to memorial of Jews shot down in
Dnipropetrovsk National University Botanical Garden. The following honoured
people addressed their speeches to meeting participants: Oleksandr Fridkis,
coordinator of Dnipropetrovsk Jewish Community affairs; Yuliya Gur,
Director of Israel Cultural Center, Israel culture attaché; Dmytro Apartsev,
Director of Jewish Agency “Sohnut”; Mark Shliak, Chief of Tkuma
Supervising Board; Igor Shchupak, Dorector of Tkuma Center; Maksym
Gordienko, pastor of Seventh-Day Adventists Church. It is of great
relevance that Ukrainians, who attended the remembrance event, are not
indifferent people to Jews pain. There is no other’s pain. The
idea is confirmed by the bill introduced by President of Ukraine Viktor
Yushchenko at the end of March. According to the bill Holocaust and Holodomor
denial can bring to criminal proceeding. The President is sure that the bill
introduction will promote consolidation of Ukrainians and people of other
nationalities to struggle against any violence using, fight for respect to
man’s rights and freedom, strengthening of international understanding in
Ukraine.
All
meeting speakers one after another have lighted six candles which symbolized
the sorrow at six million Jews perished in Holocaust.
Levi
Yitzhak Shneerson School ą144 for advanced study of Jewish History took active
part in Holocaust Day commemoration. The local mass-media has been invited to
the ceremony.
Ukraine
is in the progress to democratic development, aiming to enter the European
Community. To join European Community Ukrainians should develop tolerant
society, resist to xenophobia and anti-Semitism that can be reached by
Holocaust lessons comprehension. Fortunately, Ukrainian Youth and intellectuals
aspire to take active part in international events devoted to Holocaust
commemoration.
After
laying flowers in Botanical Garden Tkuma Center has hosted meeting of
intellectuals club “The Ark”. Participants’ speeches were devoted to the
Holocaust Day.
The
meeting has been opened by the greeting speeches of Svitlana Gerus, coordinator
of Tkuma Center educational programs. After listening to recorded Holocaust Day
prayer “El Male Rah aim” in Herbrew, she has read the prayer in Ukrainian in
her own translation. Then the women have lighted remembering candles.
Svitlana
Gerus continued with the story about revolt in Warsaw Ghetto focusing
everybody’s attention on the Jewish courage and heroism during resistance
movement. Then participants have discussed such issues as heroism, feat,
courage, Righteous.
The
meeting has been held in tolerant atmosphere. Everybody had an opportunity to
express the thought and listen to the others. It is relevant that every time
new people of various nations – Ukrainians, Jews and Russians – join
intellectuals club “The Ark”. Ukraine is the multinational country, that’s why
the historical past of each nation should not be indifferent to the others.
Holodomor, Holocaust, Armenian people tragedy are the most frightful tragedies
of all mankind. One should remember the lessons of history for the sake of
following generations!
Artem Eremenko,
“Vestnik Tkuma” literary editor