Kateryna Yushchenko Takes Part in Righteous among the Nations Celebration
01 October 2009 16:35
October 1, 2009, Head of the Supervisory Board of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Foundation Kateryna Yushchenko took part in the ceremony awarding diplomas and medals to Righteous among the Nations, non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.
The ceremony took place at the Halych Synagogue in Kyiv. Among other participants were Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Israel to Ukraine Zina Kalay-Kleitman, Kyiv Mayor Leonid Chernovetsky, renowned historian Aaron Weiss, Chorepiscopus of Kyiv Archdiocese Yosyf Milian, representatives of various creeds, Righteous among the Nations who had already been awarded this title, and representatives of those receiving it that day.
The event started with a memorial service for the victims, celebrated by Cantor Philip Golding (Canada), rescued by two Ukrainian families during World War II.
“We, the Ukrainians and the Jews, for centuries lived together, fought together, achieved success together, cried for our losses together,” Mrs. Yushchenko said in her address. “It was a time of love and ordeal. And it was a time of true valor.”
“I can relate to your striving to find, name, and celebrate people and preserve the memory about their deeds forever,” Mrs. Kateryna said. She said that the same striving laid in the basis of reviving the memory of Holodomor of 1932-1933 in Ukraine. “We want to bring back the memory about every person executed by the hunger.”
Mrs. Yushcheno said that the Ukrainian and Jewish peoples “have been friends for centuries, helping each other.” She quoted some actions by Ukrainians and Jews who in the first half of the 20th century helped to save many lives. “These examples symbolize our similar aspirations, dreams, human qualities, similar history and, hopefully, similar future,” she said.
“I am proud that Ukraine is one of the world’s top countries in terms of the number of Righteous Gentiles. I am also proud that Ukraine is the only state in the world bestowing state awards upon its Righteous among the Nations,” Mrs. Yushchenko said.
Ambassador Kalay-Kleitman, Mayor Chernovitsky, Prof. Weissman and others also addressed the public.
During the ceremony, members of 14 families, saving Jews’ lives from Nazis in 1941-1945, were awarded diplomas and medals of Righteous among the Nations.
The Righteous among the Nations title is conferred by the State of Israel on non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. The award was founded by the Knesset in 1953, simultaneously with the foundation of Yad Vashem, the official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. A person who is recognized as Righteous among the Nations awarded a medal in his name, a certificate of honor, and the privilege of having the name added to those on the Wall of Honor in the Garden of the Righteous at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.
As of January 1, 2009, 22,765 persons have been recognized as Righteous among the Nations, 2,246 of them being Ukraine’s citizens. In terms of the number of Righteous among the Nations Ukraine is the fourth country in the world, after Poland, the Netherlands, and France. Among those recognized as Righteous among the Nations are Swedish diplomat Raul Wallenberg, German manufacturer Oscar Schindler, Polish public leader Irena Sendler, and President of France Jacques Chirac.
Print version
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
