Tribute to Fyodor Sverdlov

On May 24, a meeting in memory of Fyodor Sverdlov (1921-2002), the historian of Jewish heroism in World War II, for the first time ever took place in Israel in the conference hall of the The Museum of the Military History and Jewish Military Tradidtion  "The  Energy of Virility" This meeting was organized by the The Museum of the Military History and Jewish Military Tradidtion "The  Energy of Virility" Israel, Handera (director – David Zelvensky) and the Research and Educational Holocaust Center (Russia, Moscow, co-chair Ilya Altman and regional representative in Israel Gregory Reikhman). Such events have become traditional in the Research and Educational Holocaust Center in Moscow.

The meeting was opened by the head of The Museum of the Military History and Jewish Military Tradidtion  "The  Energy of Virility" David Zelvensky.

Ilya Altman spoke about the important impact of Fyodor Sverdlov’s works on the research and publishing activities of the Holocaust Center and Foundation. The same idea was conveyed by Boris Wiesman, an activist of the museum and World War II veteran and author of books about the heroes of this war, including “I Must Tell You About This”; and also by other speakers.

On May 29, the second round of the International Tribute to Jewish Heroism and Resistance during the Holocaust in memory of Professor Fyodor Sverdlov took place.

War veteran Miron Manilov and Fyodor Sverdlov’s colleague at Frunze Academy, retired colonel Anatoly Vainer, and Alla Gerber, president of Holocaust Foundation, shared their memories about the life and work of Fyodor Sverdlov

Ilya Altman, co-chair of the Holocaust Center, examined the theme of the participation of Jews in WW II as presented in the works of Fyodor Sverdlov and described the tribute to his memory in Israel. The audience received the following reports with much interest: “Holocaust and the participation of Jews in the war in Soviet feature films” by Prof. Olga Gershenzon (USA). A professor from Massachusetts University; “Holocaust and resistance in the Transnistria Ghetto” by Prof. Alexander Trachtenberg, former ghetto prisoner; “The subject of the Jewish Resistance in museums and  school curricula in Russia» by Leonid Pyatetsky, head of Holocaust Center’s Educational Programs; and “New documents about the participation of Jews in the war” by Leonid Terushkin, head of Holocaust Center’s Archive. S.D.Dodik described with much emotion his personal experience of participating in the partisan movement in the Ukraine. At this event, an exhibition of books by Fyodor Sverdlov was displayed.