Russia row over Nazi massacre site in Rostov-on-Don
24 2012 A row has erupted in Russia over the replacement of a Holocaust memorial plaque in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don which named Jews as victims.
In August 1942 Nazi German troops murdered at least 27,000 people at Zmiyevskaya Balka, regarded as the worst Holocaust atrocity in Russia.
More than half the victims were Jews, the Russian Jewish Congress (RJC) says.
A new plaque does not mention Jews, but "peaceful citizens of Rostov-on-Don and Soviet prisoners-of-war".
The RJC, a secular foundation representing Russian Jews, says it will take legal action over the unauthorised decision to replace the former plaque, which spoke of "more than 27,000 Jews" murdered by the Nazis. That plaque had been put up in 2004.
According to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Centre in Israel, 15,000-16,000 Jews were murdered by the Nazis in Rostov-on-Don from August 1942 to February 1943.
In the Soviet Union memorials commemorating victims of Nazi massacres spoke of "Soviet citizens" rather than "Jews".
Rostov-on-Don map
Violation admitted
The former plaque mentioning Jews has now been put in the Zmiyevskaya Balka memorial hall, Rostov's Deputy Culture Minister Valery Gelas told Moscow Echo radio.
He admitted that the rules for historical memorials had been broken, but said the new plaque would remain and "we've done all we can".
He said the wording was in line with historical research and data presented to the Rostov cultural authorities.
RJC president Yuri Kanner said the site was "Russia's Babi Yar" - a reference to the notorious Nazi mass shootings of Jews near Kiev during World War II.
He said it was important to specify exactly who was shot at Zmiyevskaya Balka, pointing out that in law the Nazi slaughter of Jews "is considered a separate crime, with separate prosecutions".
"There could have been refugees from Poland, not necessarily Soviet citizens, it's not a question of citizens," he told Moscow Echo.
He said he did not believe the plaque decision was a case of anti-Semitism, rather that it was a local official's "attempt to do something to please somebody".
A Communist MP on the Russian parliament (Duma) committee for nationalities, Tamara Pletneva, said it was time to "forget our bitterness and live in peace".
"The memorial should commemorate all the war victims... the Soviet Union saved Jews, Russians saved Jews... so why single out Jews? We shouldn't single out any ethnic group."
Sergey Shpagin, Tsentr Holocaust
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16697485
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/world/europe/russia-protest-by-jewish-group.html?_r=3
The Holocaust Center presents new teaching material about the Righteous among the Nations
01 2012
With the beginning
year the Holocaust Centre provides
Russian teachers with new teaching material edited by I.A. Altman and D.I.
Poltorak. 56 page-long package “The
Righteous in Russia,
1941-1945”
published by “Russkoe Slovo” Publishing House in late 2011, consists of a collection
of documents and methodological recommendations. The first part
includes documents and eyewitness reports, cards and photographies, 31 reports
either by the rescuers or the rescued people and a description and photos of
the Righteous medals and documents.
The second part presented
in a form of a brochure offers methodological recommendations for the use of
the package.
The volume includes
documents and photographs featuring the most outstanding stories how Russsian
citizens saved Jews. They are followed by documents describing the rescued Jews
who lived or still live in Russia
and cover all Russian regions occupied during the war.
Copies can be ordered
at center@holofond.ru
Holocaust Memorial Erected in Lubavitch
16 2011 A Holocaust memorial commemorating the 483 local Jews who were murdered in November 1941 was dedicated in the Russian city of Lubavitch.
Erected at the behest of the Russian Holocaust Center and the Russian Jewish Congress’ Restore Dignity Project, the memorial marks the spot where Nazi forces gathered residents in a small ravine by the city’s slaughterhouse before massacring the lot. The monument, which was unveiled last Thursday, includes the names of 74 people whose names could be confirmed by Yad Vashem, Israel’s national Holocaust museum and research institute.
At the unveiling ceremony, Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Yitzchak Kogan, director of Moscow’s Bronnaya Synagogue, and Smolensk regional Chief Rabbi Levi Mondshine led attendees in a traditional memorial prayer. The town of Lubavitch served as the headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement until the Fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Shalom Dovber Schneersohn, moved to Rostov in the early 20th century.
The ceremony was attended by Smolensk deputy Gov. Sergei Goryunov and other local officials, Russian Jewish Congress President Yuri Kaner, Israeli diplomats and Jewish community members.
By Tamar Runyan
http://www.chabad.org/blogs/blog_cdo/aid/1681168/jewish/Holocaust-Memorial-Erected-in-Lubavitch.htm
The letter to Ilya Altman
"Dear Ilya Alexandrovich,
Thanks a lot for your warm words said at the ceremony at Lubavichi and directed to Russia’s Evangelical Christians. I am glad that such an important event took place. We did not know how people would respond to our call in churches, but thank God, everything went fine.
When I contacted Jewish public organization in Belgorod I noted that people were not so eager to do something for the alive, let alone the dead. Therefore, it was pleasure to see that not only Jews responded to this call but also bishops, pastors, and simple laymen belonging to Russia’s Evangelical churches.
At the ceremony, Yuri Kanner asked “Why?” To this question we need to answer ourselves and people. Why are we doing it? We are not politicians, we do not need political gains. We even lose something by getting involved in such projects. Yet, we get much much more. This is our gratitude to the Lord, our atonement, our stretched hands of peace and love, our hearts. We are doing it because 2,000 years ago one young Jew brought to heathen a light of Torah, 10 commandments, the highest moral law. For us this is not a secular event, this is an important spiritual action. I believe that today we change the face of Russia and church. Russia is not only about pogroms and church is not only about crusades and curses against Jews. It is also us, millions of Russian Evangelical Christians whose heart contains a candid love of and openness to Jewish people who gave Savior to this world.
God save Russia and have mercy on us.
Sincerely,
Boris Kohan, pastor"
Holocaust Memorial at Lubavichi to be inaugurated on November 10, 2011
08 2011 On November 10, 2011, at 2 pm a monument will be inaugurated in the locality of Lubavichi (Rudnya county, Smolensk district, Russia). It is dedicated to the memory of 483 Jews executed by the Germans and their accomplices in November 1941.
This project is the first successful example of cooperation between the Russian Jewish Congress (RJC), the Russian Holocaust Center, and Russia’s Evangelical Christian communities. It is symbolic that the monument will open in the course of the International Week of Tolerance.
Lubavichi was one of the most famous centers of Judaism hosting religious schools whose students came to lead Jewish communities in Europe and USA. Therefore, the Germans destroyed local Jews with particular cruelty. The execution took place in a small ravine on the territory of slaughterhouse. Jews were shot in the head or beaten to death with sticks. Little children were dug alive.
Jewish settlement in Lubavichi existed for three centuries. Its entire population was wiped out in one day…
For many years, on the execution site there was only a symbolic rectangle with a five-pointed star but bearing no inscription. In 2002, Russian and German students erected there a memorial sign.
The memorial will be inaugurated within the framework of the “To Return Dignity” project launched by the RJC President Yuri Kanner. Creation of the memorial was handled by a working group headed by the Co-chairman of the Russian Holocaust Center, scientific supervisor of the Holocaust Museum at the RJC Memorial synagogue on Poklonnaya Gora Ilya Altman and the director of “Even Ezer” Foundation Boris Vasyukov. Jewish national-cultural autonomy in the Smolensk district under Dmitri Levant who also heads the RJC regional branch also took part in the creation of the monument.
The memorial complex (sculptor Alexey Zamlely, architect Vladislav Kondrat’yev) includes an original monument featuring Jewish motives. Thousands of Evangelical Christians all over Russia contributed their personal means to offset the costs of the planning and construction of the memorial. They left an inscription “Forgive us” on a granite plaque. The text in Russian, English and Hebrew provides the date and details of the execution. Names of 74 murdered Jews were ascertained with the help of the Yad Vashem Project on documenting the names of Jews perished during the Holocaust in the USSR. Their names are carved in separate plaques.
The inauguration of the memorial will be attended by the heads of the Smolensk district, Russian Jewish, religious, youth and public organizations, and representatives of the diplomatic corps. Anastasia Polyakova, eyewitness and inhabitant of Lubavichi will recall how the execution took place. Mourning prayer (Kaddish) will be recited by the rabbi of the Moscow’s synagogue on Bolshaya Bronnaya St. Isaac Kogan.
Journalists are requested to send their requests for media coverage of the event at: michaelsavin@gmail.com or ilya@holofond.ru Tel.:. 8-916-9064998.
The assembly point for the participants of the ceremony at Lubavichi: November 10, 6.30 am near “Park Pobedy” metro station (exit to Kutuzovsky prospect towards Moscow district; near the bus stop heading for Odintsovo).
Co-chairman of the Russian Holocaust Center Professor Ilya Altman took part in memorial events in the city of Taganrog in southern Russia that marked70 years since the annihilation of some 1,500 loca
26 2011 October 26. Co-chairman of the Russian Holocaust Center Professor Ilya Altman took part in memorial events in the city of Taganrog in southern Russia that marked 70 years since the annihilation of some 1,500 local Jews. The events were conducted jointly with the Center’s branch in Taganrog. Among the participants, there was a local Righteous among the Nations Igor Polugorodnik. In addition, educational seminar on Holocaust was conducted for local teachers. On the next day, Professor Altman led a seminar on Holocaust in Rostov, capital of Russia’s South.
Dr. Kiril Feferman representing the Russian Holocaust Center delivered a presentation on the “Hesitations of Kievan Jews in the first three months of the war” at a scholarly conference held on October
25 2011 October 25. Dr. Kiril Feferman representing the Russian Holocaust Center delivered a presentation on the “Hesitations of Kievan Jews in the first three months of the war” at a scholarly conference held on October 24-25 in Kiev. This important scholarly event that brought together leading scholars on the topic was organized by the Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Research and the French Center for Humanitarian Studies in Ukraine.
The Museum of Jewish Heritage and Holocaust hosted a memorial session dedicated to the Holocaust in Belarus
23 2011 October 23. The Museum of Jewish Heritage and Holocaust hosted a memorial session dedicated to the Holocaust in Belarus. The memorial session was attended by high-ranking representatives of Belarus’ Embassy in Russia, President of Holocaust Fund and member of the Russia’s Public Chamber Alla Gerber, and others. The event was moderated by Professor Ilya Altman, co-chairman of the Russian Holocaust Center. 70 years ago, Minsk ghetto, containing more than 100,000 Jewish inmates from Belarus, Poland, Austria, France, Netherlands, and Belgium was entirely destroyed. Minsk ghetto, being one of the largest in Europe, existed about 27 months. The event’s featured presentation was the touching personal story told by a survivor from the Minsk ghetto Boris Srebnik.
The representatives of the Russian Holocaust Center participated in a seminar on Holocaust held in Birobidzhan
18 2011 October 18. For the third time in its history, representatives of the Russian Holocaust Center participated in a seminar on Holocaust held in Birobidzhan, the capital of the Jewish Autonomous region situated in Russia’s Far East.
Co-chairman of the Russian Holocaust Center Professor Ilya Altman delivered several lectures on Holocaust in the city of Novosibirsk, in Russia’s Siberia, in local schools and universities.
15 2011
October 15. Co-chairman of the Russian Holocaust Center Professor Ilya Altman delivered several lectures on Holocaust in the city of Novosibirsk, in Russia’s Siberia, in local schools and universities.
VI International Conference “Holocaust Lessons and Contemporary Russia: Problems of Memorialization”
05 2011 October 5. VI International Conference “Holocaust Lessons and Contemporary Russia: Problems of Memorialization” was held in St. Petersburg from October 2 to October 5. It was attended by more than 80 scholars, community leaders, and teachers from Israel, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, and Ukraine, Moldova, and Lithuania. The conference was organized by Russian Holocaust Center jointly with Yad Vashem, Anne Frank House, House of Wannsee Conference, Hertsen Russian State Pedagogic University (St. Petersburg), Museum of Jewish Heritage and Holocaust (Moscow), and St. Petersburg Jewish Community Center. Alongside the conference, two educational seminars were conducted, one for teachers of St. Petersburg and Leningrad district, the other one for teachers of Jewish schools of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania. During the conference, Anne Frank House presented its exhibition “Anne Frank: History lesson.” The conference was convened to mark 20 years since the opening of a memorial devoted to Holocaust victims shot in October 1941 in the town of Pushkin at St. Petersburg’s vicinity.
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