To avoid becoming indifferent: the memory of those who died during the Holocaust was honored in Vitebsk
A rally and thematic meeting dedicated to the memory of the Holocaust victims were held in Vitebsk.
Dozens of people took part in the commemorative event – representatives of the Jewish community, the charitable public organization "Chesed David", and students of Secondary School No. 21 in Vitebsk named after Hero of the Soviet Union V.A. Demidov. They gathered near a stone on the right bank of the Western Dvina, which bears the inscription: "A memorial sign will be erected here in memory of the prisoners of the Vitebsk Ghetto – victims of fascist genocide in 1941-1944."
"The events are dedicated to the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Since January 27 fell on a Saturday, and according to Jewish tradition, no events are held on Shabbat, we decided to hold them today. During the Great Patriotic War, 2 million people died in Belarus, of whom more than 800,000 were of Jewish nationality. The Holocaust and the genocide of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War are practically identical concepts. Today, we remember everyone," said Naum Linkovsky, Chairman of the Vitebsk City Jewish Community.
Dozens of people took part in the commemorative event – representatives of the Jewish community, the charitable public organization "Chesed David", and students of Secondary School No. 21 in Vitebsk named after Hero of the Soviet Union V.A. Demidov. They gathered near a stone on the right bank of the Western Dvina, which bears the inscription: "A memorial sign will be erected here in memory of the prisoners of the Vitebsk Ghetto – victims of fascist genocide in 1941-1944."
"The events are dedicated to the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Since January 27 fell on a Saturday, and according to Jewish tradition, no events are held on Shabbat, we decided to hold them today. During the Great Patriotic War, 2 million people died in Belarus, of whom more than 800,000 were of Jewish nationality. The Holocaust and the genocide of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War are practically identical concepts. Today, we remember everyone," said Naum Linkovsky, Chairman of the Vitebsk City Jewish Community.
According to him, the work to perpetuate the memory of the Holocaust victims is carried out continuously and is reflected in the community's projects, many of which are dedicated to this topic or touch upon it. "Last year, we erected a monument in Kolyshki at our own expense, and we made a monument in Surazh," specified Naum Linkovsky.
The current generations were not witnesses to those horrific events, but they know about them from their parents and relatives. "Our sacred duty is to pass this memory on to the next generation so that it is preserved, and our children do not become victims, executioners, and, most terribly, indifferent people. When you listen to these stories (about the atrocities committed by the occupiers in the ghetto), your blood runs cold. It's unimaginable to comprehend the horrors these people endured," said Serafima Azarenkova, a member of the Jewish community.
After the rally, everyone proceeded to the nearby Great Lyubavichi Synagogue, which was reopened last summer after restoration. Representatives of different generations lit candles in honor of fellow countrymen and relatives who were brutally exterminated by the Nazis. Each pledged to do everything possible to preserve the tragic facts in the memory of the living.
The current generations were not witnesses to those horrific events, but they know about them from their parents and relatives. "Our sacred duty is to pass this memory on to the next generation so that it is preserved, and our children do not become victims, executioners, and, most terribly, indifferent people. When you listen to these stories (about the atrocities committed by the occupiers in the ghetto), your blood runs cold. It's unimaginable to comprehend the horrors these people endured," said Serafima Azarenkova, a member of the Jewish community.
After the rally, everyone proceeded to the nearby Great Lyubavichi Synagogue, which was reopened last summer after restoration. Representatives of different generations lit candles in honor of fellow countrymen and relatives who were brutally exterminated by the Nazis. Each pledged to do everything possible to preserve the tragic facts in the memory of the living.
The Director of the Vitebsk Charitable Public Association "Hasdei David," Boris Konovalov, said that today the organization in the region cares for about 320 people who survived the Holocaust years. Among them are two concentration camp prisoners and three Leningrad блокадники (residents who endured the Siege of Leningrad). There are also two individuals with the title of Righteous Among the Nations – they saved people of Jewish nationality, risking their own lives and the lives of their families.
"We are making every effort to provide qualified assistance to all these people," said Boris Konovalov. "This includes not only material assistance but also the creation of specific conditions under socialization programs. The main task of the organization is home care service. In addition, many programs are in place, including an emergency assistance program for those in difficult financial situations, help with purchasing expensive medications, rehabilitation equipment, and technology."
"We are making every effort to provide qualified assistance to all these people," said Boris Konovalov. "This includes not only material assistance but also the creation of specific conditions under socialization programs. The main task of the organization is home care service. In addition, many programs are in place, including an emergency assistance program for those in difficult financial situations, help with purchasing expensive medications, rehabilitation equipment, and technology."
The International Holocaust Remembrance Day, established in 2005 by UN General Assembly resolution 60/7, is observed on January 27. On this day in 1945, the Soviet Army liberated the prisoners of the Nazi concentration camp "Auschwitz-Birkenau." According to various estimates, fascists tortured from 1.5 million to 4 million people there. Approximately 6 million Jews became victims of the Holocaust, with over 800,000 exterminated in Belarus. In death camps, German Nazis and collaborators from other countries constantly improved methods of exterminating people, conducting cruel medical experiments on representatives of the Jewish people, Slavs, and Roma. In Vitebsk, according to various data, from 16,000 to 20,000 people of Jewish nationality were exterminated during the war.
"BelTA"
"BelTA"