LIMMUD FSU VINNITSA: THE ULTIMATE ANSWER TO THE “FINAL SOLUTION”
The next Limmud FSU event for young Russian speaking-adults, to be called “Limmud FSU Tekumah”, will take place in the town of Vinnitsa, Ukraine, some 150 kms. south-west of Kiev, on June 17-19, 2011. Vinnitsa lies in the province of Podolia, the heartland of the Jewish Pale of Settlement up to 1941.
Limmud Tekuma (Tekuma in English is “revival” or “rebirth,”) will mark the 70th anniversary of “Operation Barbarossa”, when on Midsummer’s Day 1941, the wehrmacht smashed across Germany’s Eastern borders, thus launching the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union which led to some of the most bloody and protracted battles of the Second World War.
LVIV: SCIENTIFIC AND CREATIVE UNDERSTANDING OF HISTORY
For Ukraine the year 2011 is a specials one. This is the year when Ukrainian and world community commemorate the 70th Anniversary of German attack on the USSR and the Holocaust beginning on the territory of Ukraine and the 70th anniversary of Babiy Yar tragedy.
“Tkuma” All-Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies dedicates the following events to these dates: a range of scientific conferences and seminars for school teachers and students, meetings and discussions and prepares books and films for the press. At the same time intensive work on creating the Museum of History of Jews of Ukraine and the Holocaust to be open at the beginning of 2012 goes on.
This year on May 17-19th “Tkuma” Center organized a range of important events in Lviv. The history of this ancient city, the history of West Ukraine and Ukrainian-Polish border area give reason to recollect not only the tragedy of the Holocaust and the horrors of the war, inter-ethnic hostility and crimes against humanity but also the cases of mutual help between ethnic groups and spiritual feats of saving human lives.
Here “Tkuma” works with its long-standing partners, such as “Hesed Arye” Jewish Charitable Fund, Ukrainian Catholic University, “Nova Doba” All-Ukrainian Association of History, Federation of Polish Organizations in Ukraine, “Ukrainian Jewish Encounters” (Canadian initiative) and other Ukrainian, Jewish and Polish organizations. Working in partnership, it is very important to know what unites people who represent different nationalities and religions, supporters of different ideas and views. Probably, it is understanding of the value of human lives and greatness of the feat of saving people that unites us. This is why the key topic of our events was The Righteous Among the Nations of the World.
Our reference. “The Righteous Among the Nations of the World” is a honorary title conferred in the name of the State of Israel according to the Law on perpetuating the memory of martyrs and heroes (1953) on representatives of different nationalities and religions who saved Jews from destruction in time of the Holocaust. The issue of conferring the title of the Righteous is considered by a special Committee on the Righteous Among the Nations of the World of Yad Vashem, The Holocaust Museum (Israel).
The phenomenon of the Righteous has not been solved by historians, philosophers, scientists and spiritual leaders. What were people who risked not only their lives but also the lives of their families and their children driven by sheltering Jews from the Nazi butchers? Why did a part of population take the side of the occupiers and the majority of population remain indifferent to the tragedy of “the different” and the Righteous perform a spiritual deed defending the honor of their nation? What was the motivation of the Ukrainians and Poles who concealed Jews not only from the Nazis but also from their neighbors and sometimes even from the relatives? Why did Poles who saved their Ukrainian neighbors from Polish Army Krajova and Ukrainians who saved their fellow villagers from the Ukrainian Insurgent Army risk their lives?
Over a hundred historians, philosophers, pedagogues and statesmen from Belorussia, Israel, Canada, Poland, Russia and Ukraine took part in the International Conference “The Righteous – the Saviors of Lives: Historical Experience and Moral Lessons”. The Conference participants were warmly welcomed by the representatives of the clergy, Lviv City Administration and National University “Lvivs’ka Politechnika” in the luxury halls of which the first day of the Conference work was held. In their reports the scientists covered different aspects of the Second World War and the Holocaust: inter-ethnical relations in Ukraine in the time between the two wars and in wartime, Ukrainian-Polish mutual help during the tragic historical events and reaction of peaceful population to the Holocaust and the phenomenon of the Righteous. Prof. Yaroslav Hrytsak (professor of Ukrainian Catholic University, Director of Institute for Historical Research of I. Franko Lviv State University, Lviv), Prof.Vladyslav Hrynevitch(National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies, Kyiv) andSerhiy Shpagin (senior lecturerof Modern and Contemporary History Department of South Federal University, Rostofv-on-the Don, Russia), delivered excellent reportsdedicated to methodology of History, problems of historical memory and the models of its formation.
The reports of Dr. Orest Zakydalsky (Ukrainian-Jewish Encounter (UJE), Ukrainian-Canadian Research Center and Documentation Center, Toronto, Canada) and Prof. Barbara Weigl (deputy director, High School of Public Psychology, Warsaw, Poland) were devoted to the topic “National Heroes and Foes: Peculiarity of Perception, Morality and Humanity”.
Burning issues of historical science were touched upon in the reports of Dr. Aron Weiss, “Tkuma” All-Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies Academic Adviser, JDC Community Programs Coordinator in the FSU (Jerusalem, Israel); Prof. Maksym Gon, PhD, head of Political Sciences Department of Rivne State Humanitarian University (Rivne, Ukraine); Prof. Igor Ilyushyn, PhD, head of the Department of International Relations, Kyiv Slavonic University (Kyiv, Ukraine), Dr. Igor Shchupak, PhD, director of “Tkuma” All-Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies(Dnipropetrovsk); Ludmyla Hrynevitch, PhD, senior staff scientist of Institute for History of Ukraine of National Academy of Science (Kyiv); Faina Vynokurova, PhD, deputy director of scientific-methodical work of Vinnytsa Region State Archive, anacademic secretary ofInternational Academic Board of “Tkuma” and others.
Unique peculiarity of the Conference, dedicated to the Righteous Among the Nations of the World was the Ceremony of awarding Ukrainians who were conferred this high title on by a special Committee of Yad Vashem. The Righteous were awarded diplomas and medals by Amir Ben-Zvi,JDC Representative in Ukraine, on behalf of the State of Israel
Presentation of the book of Yanina Heshelis “With the Eyes of a Twelve-Year Old Girl” took place in the framework of the Conference (the book was published by “Hesed Arye” Jewish Charitable Fund headed by Ada Dianova and Kyiv “Duh I Literah” (“Spirit and Letter”) publishing house, chief editor Leonid Finberg). Since the end of the inferno of the Holocaust engraved in the memory and on the pages of the diary of Yanina Heshelis who was a 12-year-old girl at that time she has not returned to Lviv. This is where all her family was killed. And only now being at a mature age this woman has mustered up her strength to arrive in the city connected with very hard memories for her to make a public presentation of a book about her salvation. Yanina Heshelis was accompanied by her two sons and a 12-year-old granddaughter. .
Historical documentary of Dr Faina Vynokurova “Requiem to the Defender” dedicated to the Righteous Among the Nations of the World L. I. Postolovskaya who was director of an orphanage in Vinnytsa during Nazi occupation was of a high artistic level and a profound historical background. This film presentation was also included in the Conference program.
Premiere of “Yanka” play staged after the book of Ya. Heshelis (“Debut” Theater of “Hesed Arye” Jewish Charitable Fund) was the spiritual culmination of the Conference. Both Yanina, the prototype of the main character of the play, and the spectators were unable to hold back their tears and emotions, empathizing with the Jewish girl who went through all the circles of the Holocaust and was saved by Poles and Ukrainians, opposing the Nazi “New Order”.
The meeting-dialog of the Righteous Among the Nations of the World and the Saved in time of the Holocaust was marvelous. Among the participants of this round table meetingthere were children and grandchildren of the Righteous Among the Nations of the World Ivan Kuzik,Stefania Tuzhanskaya, the Sagaidak and Pastuh families as well as the Saved in time of the Holocaust Dr. Aron Weiss, Dr. Yitzhak Komem, Dr. Sharon Komem(Israel) and researches of the history of the Holocaust Dr. Zhanna Kovba (Ukraine), Tamara Vershitskaya (Belorussia); Dr. Igor Shchupak (Ukraine). Ukrainians and Jews, citizens of different countries and representatives of different professions shared their innermost thoughts and feelings and passed on their deeply dramatic memories.
On the final day “Tkuma” Center together with the Ministry of Education and Science, Youth and Sport of Ukraine conducted International Pedagogical Seminar “European Experience of the Holocaust and Other Genocides Studies” attended by over 40 people – methodologists of Regional Institutes for Teachers’ Professional Upgrading from all regions of Ukraine, Ukrainian teachers – winners of the “Teacher of the Year” contest, as well as by methodologists and teachers from Belorussia, Israel, Poland and Russia.
On this day All-Ukrainian seminar for the heads of “Clubs of the Intelligentsia” of “Tkuma” and International seminar for the heads of museum programs took place. These events will be covered by us in detail later.
The participants of the conference, seminars and round table meetings have marked their high scientific level and public importance. At the scientific forum, pedagogical and museum seminars, creative meetings and presentations the issues of understanding the lessons of the war and the Holocaust were considered from different points of view.
The topic of the Righteous Among the Nations of the World is one of the rare topics that representatives of different nationalities and supporters of various ideologies treat positively. The Righteous is a historical phenomenon that does not require special, various evaluations, depending on different vision of Ukraine or Germany, Poland or Russia’s national histories. This is the rare case when representatives of different nations are united not by common victims but by common heroes.
A report on conducting International Scientific-Practical Seminar for secondary schools teachers.
Many Ukrainians associate the following with contemporary Moldova: perfect wine, bright sun and beautiful ladies. That is surely true and nothing seems to remind us of the far-off War that burst out 69 years ago. Very few Ukrainians are familiar with the history of our neighboring country during the Great patriotic War and know the fact that there were over 250 ghettos and concentration camps on the territory of this small country. In 1941–1944 600 thousand Jewish people were murdered by Nazis there.
And only after some decades is memory of these innocent victims perpetuated.
OPENING OF BEIT GRAND JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER IN ODESSA
It is common knowledge that Odessa has always been considered as a “Jewish capital” of both Russian Empire and Soviet Ukraine. Undoubtedly, nowadays the city of Dnepropetrovsk claims to be a “Jewish capital”.
The two cities are united not only by their Jewish status. Tkuma Center works in close partnership with many organizations of Odessa, including the recently established Center for Holocaust Studies at Odessa Jewish University, a very interesting Migdal Shorashim Museum of Odessa Jewry and an actively developing Beit Grand Jewish Community Center. Beit Grand hosted a very important event, bringing together friends of the Jewish Community Center from different cities and countries as well as city and oblast authorities (it should be mentioned that the mayor of Odessa is Eduard Gurvits, a famous politician), the heads of Claims Conference, JDC and other Jewish Organizations.
SEMINAR FOR HISTORY TEACHERS
Tkuma Center has been fruitfully cooperating with Dnepropetrovsk Institute for AdvancedPedagogical Studies for many years.
The lectures and seminars held by Igor Schupak, director of Tkuma, a PhD in History, a teacher-methodologist, have become a tradition for History teachers who take a professional upgrading course at Dnepropetrovsk Regional Institute for Advanced Education every five years.
EUROPEAN MUSEUMS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH DNEPROPETROVSK
While creating Museum of Ukrainian Jewry History in Dnepropetrovsk the experience of famous European museums should be taken into account. Therefore, the members of the Working group of Tkuma have visited Berlin and Warsaw museum-scientific and educational centers.
The working group was surprised by the attention of Germans to their history and striving to learn a lesson from their tragic past where Holocaust takes an important place.
On June 8th,
2010 a creative meeting of the community members with Igor Schupak, director of Tkuma Center, a PhD in History, an author of many books and hand books and chief editor of Premier Publishing House took place at Dnepropetrovsk Jewish Community. The meeting was initiated and organized by Oleg Karpov, the host of regular “Oleg Karpov Gathers Friends” talk show.
MEETING OF INTELLUGENTSIA CLUB
“Why do people need a house?” – it was the name of the regular “Kovcheg” (“The Ark”) Intelligentsia Club meeting that took place at Tkuma Center on June 3rd, 2010. Traditionally, the poetess Inna Radinovskaya was the host of the evening.
ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY: ON THE WAVE OF UNITY
On May 23rd,
2010 a mass event dedicated to Israel Independence Day took place at Novoselitsa resort, Novomoskovsk Region. Over 500 people from different cities gathered outdoor. The active entertaining program put the participants in good spirits. Tkuma Center was one of co-organizers of the event.
“BABIY YARS OF UKRAINE” MEMORIAL MARATHON (the village of Zlatoustovka, Krivoy Rog Region)
On May 30,
2010 a
mourning Ceremony of Holocaust Victims Commemoration was organized by Tkuma Center in the village of Zlatoustovka, Krivoy Rog Region of Dnepropetrovsk Oblast, another place of mass murder of Jewish people.
It is no coincidence that the ravine located on the bank of the reservoir storage near the village of Zlatoustovka became the venue of the Ceremony. On May 30th,
1942 in
this place 540 Jewish people living in the neighboring villages were shot. A memorial has been raised there.
THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR: PEOPLE IN THE EPOCH
“DNEPROPETROVSK REGION IN THE GTREAT PATRIOTIC WAR”
REGIONAL SCIENTIFIC-PRACTICAL CONFERENCE
As any event in life, the memorable date of May 9th has two sides: on the one hand, it is a merry day, as we celebrate Victory. On the other hand, it is a sad day, as we remember the consequences of the war.
When watching again the documentaries about Victory Day celebration, we can see happy people hugging each other and flowers and understand that the holiday was accompanied by tears, losses and suffering. Therefore, ahead of celebrating the 65th Anniversary of Victory Day a large number of teachers, methodologists, scientists and members of public organizations came to Scientific-Practical Conference from all Regions and villages of Dnepropetrovsk Oblast.
THERE ARE SPECIAL DATES…
A grand festive event organized for the Great Patriotic War veterans and dedicated to the 65th Anniversary of the Great Victory took place at Gorkiy Theater on May, 6th, 2010.
The event was opened by a festive concert, preceded by cordial congratulations and guests of honor and organizers’ words of gratitude.
After that a surprise was awaiting the veterans: generous presents and army field kitchen outdoor. Tkuma Center prepared its special presents for the veterans: books of memoirs of Holocaust eyewitnesses, front-line soldiers and those who survived occupation as well as other literature.
BRIDGES BETWEEN GENERATIONS: the DIALOGUE BETWEEN YOUTH AND VETERANS (the city of Krivoy Rog)
On May 11, 2010 Tkuma All-Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies held “Bridges Between Generations: the Dialogue Between Youth and Veterans” Regional Round Table dedicated to the 65th Anniversary of victory over Nazism. The event took place in the city of Krivoy Rog. The event was conducted in the form of a dialogue between The Great Patriotic War veterans and youth.
INTELLIGENTSIA CLUB IN JANUARY
MEETING OF TKUMA’ INTELLIGENTSIA
CLUB IN JANUARY
On
January, 29th meeting of Tkuma’ intelligentsia club has been held.
The club was devoted to International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The
participants have lighted the memorial candles and commemorated exterminated
Jews by silence minute. The meeting participants were represented by Dnepropetrovsk
outstanding teachers, writers, poets, psychologists and engineers.
On 21-23 June 2009 inPshemyshl
(Poland) Polish Center for Holocaust Research at Polish Academy of Sciences and
Tkuma All-Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies jointly with other scientific
institutions and international organizations will conduct International
Scholarly Conference “Ukrainian-Polish-JewishRelationsduringNaziOccupationandHolocaust
(Ukrainian-Polish Borderlines, 1941-1944)”
INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST
REMEMBRANCE DAY IN DNIPROPETROVSK
On
January, 27th Tkuma Center has conducted commemoration ceremony by
the Holocaust Victims’ Memorial at Gagarin Park. Heads and activists of Dnepropetrovsk
Jewish Community, journalists of Jewish and Ukrainian mass media and
representatives of the public were invited to take part in the ceremony.
On
January, 27th Tkuma Center delegation took part in ceremony of
flowers-laying to the Holocaust Victims’ Memorial. Much attention of the public
and journalists has been attracted by the famous politician A. Yatsenuk participation
in the ceremony.
JANUARY, 27th: INTERNATIONAL
HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY
The
United Nations General Assembly designated January 27th as an annual
International day of Holocaust victims commemoration.
SEMINAR
SEMINAR ON INTER-CIVILIZATIONAL
AND INTER-ETHNIC PROBLEMS
On January,
21st Tkuma Center Director Igor Shchupak has conducted the seminar
on problems of inter-civilizational and inter-ethnic dialog for secondary
schools’ History teachers (on the basis of Dnepropetrovsk Regional Institute for
Advanced Pedagogical Study).
On
December, 15th-17th Tkuma jointly with Jewish Mazal Tov Community
Center (Zaporozhe) has conducted the seminar “The Role of Historical Memory in Strengthening
of the Jewish family”. The topic of the seminar wasn’t selected by chance but on
demand of center programs’ participants and clients.
On
December, 11th meeting of Tkuma’ intelligentsia club has been held.
This
meeting has hosted students of higher educational establishments. The youth has
enlivened the dialogue and began brisk discussion of the topic “Through all
phases of Love”. During the meeting older generation shared experience with
youth and psychologist answered the questions.
SUMMIT IN MINISTRY
SUMMIT IN MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
AND SCIENCE OF UKRAINE
On
December 4th the summit “Problems of modern historical education contest
and ways of its solution” has been held in Ministry of Education and Science of
Ukraine. The summit has been conducted by the Minister of Education and Science
of Ukraine I. Vakarchuk. Presidium of the summit was represented by
academician I. Yuhnovskiy, director of the Institute of National Memory,
and P. Polianskiy, the deputy Minister.
Dr. Aharon
Weiss and Dr. Igor Shchupak have conducted 2 meetings with groups of
veterans and interviewed them in the frames of the “Shoah victims’ names”
project.
In
Nikolayev Jewish Community Center meeting of Intelligentsia Club has been
conducted. The participants of the meeting have actively discussed questions on
Holodomor and Holocaust, Ukrainian-Jewish relationships during WW II and
nowadays.
MEETING WITH VETERANS
TKUMA STUFF MEETING WITH VETERANS
AND STUDENTS IN ODESSA
On
December, 1st Tkuma stuff has met with veterans and students in
Odessa. During the meeting within the framework of Yad Vashem “Shoah victims’
names” project interviews have been conducted and Yad Vashem forms have been
filled in.
On November, 27th meeting of Tkuma’
intelligentsia club has been held. As usual among the participants were
representatives of Dnepropetrovsk intelligentsia: psychologists, engineers,
writers, poets, etc. The topic of this meeting was “Conflicts’ positive and
negative sides”.
CONFERENCE IN MOLDOVA
INTERNATIONAL
SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE IN MOLDOVA
On
November, 17th in the capital of Moldova the first in the country
INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE “Role of historical memory and Holocaust
lessons in modern youth education” has been successfully conducted.
On August 17-25, 2008 Tkuma All-Ukrainian Center for
Holocaust Studies, the Federation of Polish organizations in Ukraine, and Lvov
Ukrainian Catholic University with the support of Consulate General of Polish
Republic in Lvov, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee in Kiev and
Dnepropetrovsk and Lvov Regional Jewish Charitable Foundation “Hesed-Aryeh”
conducted the 3-rd Inter-ethnic Inter-religious Youth seminar “The Ark” for Ukrainian, Polish and
Jewish students.
International and inter-ethnic dialogue is an
important premise for fostering the atmosphere of tolerance in Ukrainian
society. Therefore, Tkuma Center together with its partners arranges
international forums, contests, and educational seminars in which Jewish,
Ukrainian, Polish youth takes part.
It is common knowledge that Odessa has always been considered as a “Jewish capital” of both Russian Empire and Soviet Ukraine. Undoubtedly, nowadays the city of Dnepropetrovsk claims to be a “Jewish capital”.
Tkuma Center has been fruitfully cooperating with Dnepropetrovsk Institute for Advanced
On June 8th,
“Why do people need a house?” – it was the name of the regular “Kovcheg” (“The Ark”) Intelligentsia Club meeting that took place at Tkuma Center on June 3rd, 2010. Traditionally, the poetess Inna Radinovskaya was the host of the evening.
On May 23rd,
On May 30,
A grand festive event organized for the Great Patriotic War veterans and dedicated to the 65th Anniversary of the Great Victory took place at Gorkiy Theater on May, 6th, 2010. 
