If you regularly watch, listen, read news you can’t be unimpressed by the number of alarming news about the cases of violence because of nationality that take place more often. What to say about the articles of numerous nationalistic newspapers or internet sites? In such circumstances interethnic and intercommunity dialogue is highly relevant. And though such dialogue within Jewish organization is hard to arrange (most people have fear of the word “Jew” in their hearts) this dialogue is of great importance.

It is perfect that Tkuma Center undertakes such a difficult mission – this time in the form of polemic club “the Ark”.

On April, 27 Svetlana Gerus, Deputy Director of Tkuma Center and Inna Radinovskaya, popular poetess hosted like a bible Hoah people of different nationalities and occupations in cozy fireplace hall of Tkuma Center. Humanitarians – M. Epik, historian, officer of civil methodical center, Tatyana Tereshchenko, practicing physiologist, Leonid Dolotiy, psychoanalyst. Most of participants were technicians (technician is not a professional field but way of thinking, you know) – Rodion Ferdman, physician, specialist in ecology, president of “Ecostar” international center, the member of Green Party of Ukraine, Victor Hasan, a head of department of institute of problems of natural usage and ecology by the National Academy of Ukraine, Ella Tachterina, system administrator (combining the job of teacher of history of culture) – Inna Rodinovskaya herself has the diploma of engineer-chemist and others.

While making acquaintances, calm-looking fascinating aged Jew came into the room. None of the presented guessed that they saw Aharon Weiss - the life legend, historian with world name, major specialist in Holocaust studies. It was he who set the acute topic – how we see the future of our country where we live and that we love, the future of Jewish and not only Jewish community in this country, the base for intercultural and inter confessional dialogue. What can each of us do to prevent the Catastrophe in future, to prevent muddy flow of hatred, rage, fear from destroying the basis of democracy and tolerance that have just been arising in independent Ukraine, to prevent the totalitarian myths of the past from destroying the future.

It is not accidentally that the first meeting of “the Ark” took place during Pesah – the fest of liberation from physical and spiritual slavery. And nobody knows which the worst is – though it was the slave physiology that gave birth to xenophobia in society. And the XXth century vividly showed the results of the xenophobia. Let’s take, for example, Hitler regime that had the aim to destroy Jews as “defective” nation or Stalin regime that perused Jews as “unreliable” ones. Unfortunately, xenophobia is still a background for hatred and violence.

The background of the meeting, if poetry can be the background, were philosophical verses by Inna Radinovskaya, the hostess of the club who gathered under the hospitable shelter of Tkuma Center unordinary people with firm civil position, who were able not only to express their opinion but also to hear out other people.

Participants also discussed future meetings of the club, the ideas today’s participants can suggest to each other and to their new friends. Tkuma is still hospitable to everyone who is not indifferent and cares about the future.

Ella Torban