|
 On September, 27, 2005 Tkuma Central
Ukrainian Holocaust Foundation organized in Kyiv “Holocaust:
comprehension of the tragedy”, Forum-Competition. About 150
participants from all over Ukraine had an opportunity to communicate
with each other, share with their thoughts and impressions. Organizers
also announced and awarded the winners of the same name competition
“Holocaust: comprehend the tragedy” which lasted during the year 2005.
“Babiy Yar” has become
a set expression for our people. It means a horrible tragedy that
symbolizes consequences of people’s hatred and degree of the universe
evil. Immediately event of another time and space comes to memory of
the Ukrainian people – Kyiv, September, 29, 1941.
 More than 60 years passed from the beginning of the great tragedy and unheard crime of the 20th
century – shootings in “Babiy Yar”. The shootings lasted for 2 years.
For this period thousands of people of different nationalities: Jews,
Ukrainians, Russians, Gypsies were killed…For this period millions of
people from different parts of Ukraine were killed. The whole Ukraine
is covered with such “Babiy Yars”. Thousands of Ukrainian cities and
villages remember their “own Babiy Yar”.
Participants
of the “Holocaust: comprehension of the tragedy” forum-competition
tried to realize and comprehend the scale of the Catastrophe and its
influence on the following history and culture of the world, to honor
in such a way the memory of murdered.
On
September 27, 2005 Tkuma Central Ukrainian Holocaust Foundation opened
in Kyiv the Forum-Competition under the auspices of the Scientific
methodical center of higher education by the Ministry of education and
science of Ukraine; with the consulting support of the Institute of
Ukrainian history by the National Academy of Science of Ukraine (NASU),
the Institute of political and ethnic national research by NASU,
Institute of higher education APN of Ukraine, Joint the American Jewish
Joint Distribution Committee and International Funds within the
national program “Tolerance and international accord”.
The
forum, that hosted about 150 participants from all over Ukraine,
enabled famous scientists, pupils and teachers, students and lectors,
representatives of the Ministry of education and science and
representatives of civil establishments to communicate, share their
thoughts and impressions. The forum united the participants of the
competition that lasted during the previous year. That’s why the forum
has the same name as the contest “Holocaust: comprehension of the
tragedy”.
 The organizers of the
competition have done much work while preparing to the finale as nearly
80 works were sent. Every author and author’s group tried to comprehend
the tragedy in his own way and express their thoughts in research,
lessons developing or educational aids, creative works or art forms. So
each work was thoroughly worked up by the members of Tkuma center
Academic and Methodical Boards and by the members of the audience jury.
The latter comprised: Natalya Savina (college ? 100), Maryna
Zhovzharova (school ? 67), Yevgeniya Cherba (gymnasium ?3), Victoriya
Pyrypylytsya (secondary school ?120), Olena Farymets’ (secondary school
?69), Ludmyla Bazylevska (Institute for teacher’s advanced training),
Larysa Pelyukh (secondary school ? 62), Alla Gelberg (secondary school
? 144).
The program of the forum provided for
different forms of work. The participants had an opportunity not only
to present the results of their work, but to see the presentations of
their colleges and to muster their knowledge on the lectures of the
real professionals: Svetlana Petrovska, the Honored teacher of Ukraine,
the Head of the Community of Yanush Korchak (“Yanush Korchak: dilemma
of choice”), Svitlana Zanko, teacher with reach experience, the
participant of the competition in several nominations (“Righteous among
the Nations”, “The history of Jews of tsar’s Russia. The tsar Mykola
and Jewish children-cantonists”, “Is today’s terrorism the continuation
of the Holocaust?”), Dr. Tatyana Chaika, the person who inspired
thousands of teachers to research and teach the problem of Holocaust,
(“Psychological reconstruction of event”), Mukhail Tyaglyy, editor of
Tkuma scientific journal (“The history of anti-Semitism: hatred through
the ages”), Dr. Faina Vinokurova, academic secretary of Tkuma Academic
Board (“Contrastive analysis of the occupational policy in zones of
German and Romanian occupation”), Professor Leonid Matsykh, pro-rector
of International Solomon university (“Theological measuring of
Holocaust”).
Practical lessons with
psychologist Mykhail Moiseev (“The psychology of the slavery”) and
favorites of pupils – madrikhi supplemented the academic part of the
forum.
Meetings with Aharon Waiss, well-known
historian, a person-legend who knows about Holocaust not from the books
were very interesting and exciting. His story about years of childhood
spent in underground shelter, about faith in future and hopes to see
the sky and the sun took the listeners to the historic past.
An
important event of the forum was presentation of books came out thanks
to the “Babiy Yar Memory” Fund, headed by Illya Levitas, historian,
writer, public figure. The author presented books “Babiy Yar. The book
of memory.” and “Babiy Yar. Rescuers and rescued.” that awoke active
interest among the participants of the presentation. Mr. Levitas has
been compiling the materials connected with the tragedy in Babiy Yar
during all his life. He was one of the first in Ukraine together with
Ivan Dzyuba, Victor Nekrasov, Ivan Drach and other famous public
figures to raise a question concerning worth worship of memory of Jews
murdered in Babiy Yar.
 Video presentations of the forum such as video projects of the competition were also remained in memory.
Very
expressive and thrilling were presentations of creative works. To
present “Buchenwald alarm bell”, theatrical performance, “Debyut”,
youth theatre of Lvov Regional Jewish Charitable Foundation
“Hesed-Aryeh” arrived. Transformation of pupils and students into the
heroes of opposition to the Nazi invasion was the real discovery.
Diana
Sukhomlynova, young Dnepropetrovsk artist, leaded the spectators
through the darkness of Holocaust to the fair dream, to the sunlight of
the present. Impressed by the forum, Diana created a new work and
presented it to Tkuma Center.
September,
29th is a thrilling and memorable day for all the participants of the
seminar. Academic Board that worked this day at the Forum has chosen
the best works of the contest and awarded the winners.
Academic Board marked pupils, students and teachers from different cities of Ukraine.
In
creative nomination won “Debyut”, theatre-studio (L’viv), Diana
Sukhomlynova (Dnipropetrovsk) and Tatyana Goldybina (Simpheropol’).
The
guests greeted the participants of the ceremony and gave them valuable
presents. Among guests were: Yizchak Averbuch, Joint Regional Director
for East Ukraine, Danny Gechtman, Joint Director in the Central and
West Ukraine, Adel Dianova, director of Lvov Regional Jewish Charitable
Foundation “Hesed-Aryeh”.
Solemn action to
the memory of Babiy Yar took place this day. This was joint action of
the Jewish Fund of Ukraine and Tkuma Central Ukrainian Holocaust
Foundation. The participants lighted nearly one hundred memorable
candles, made with their own hands during the seminar. Jewish and
Ukrainian children appealed to the participants of the action with the
words of honor and gratitude for peace. Hundreds of the balloons flied
into the air accompanied by the sounds of the state hymn as a message
of the participants to everybody who cares for the future. Svetlana Gerus, Coordinator of Tkuma Educational Programs |
