To avoid indifference: the memory of Holocaust victims was honored in Vitebsk

A rally and a 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 "Hasdei David" charitable public organization, and pupils of Secondary School No. 21 of Vitebsk named after Hero of the Soviet Union V.A. Demidov. They gathered near a stone on the right bank of the Western Dvina, bearing 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. As January 27 fell on a Saturday, and according to Jewish tradition, no events are held on Shabbat, we decided to hold them today. In Belarus, 2 million people died during the Great Patriotic War, 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. He noted that the work to perpetuate the memory of the Holocaust victims is ongoing and is reflected in the community's projects, many of which are dedicated to this theme or touch upon it. "Last year, we erected a monument in Kolyshki at our own expense, and we made a monument in Surazh," Naum Linkovsky clarified.

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 is unimaginable to comprehend the horrors these people were subjected to," said Serafima Azarenkova, a member of the Jewish community.
After the rally, everyone proceeded to the nearby Great Lyubavich Synagogue, which was reopened last summer after restoration. Candles in honour of fellow countrymen and relatives, those who were brutally murdered by the fascists, were lit by representatives of different generations. Each person pledged to do everything possible to ensure that these tragic facts remain in the memory of the living. Boris Konovalov, Director of the Vitebsk Charitable Public Association "Hasdei David," reported that currently, the organization provides care for about 320 people in the region who survived the Holocaust years. Among them are two concentration camp prisoners and three blockade survivors.

of Leningrad. Two more individuals hold the title of Righteous Among the Nations – they risked their own lives and the lives of their families to save people of Jewish nationality.

"We are making every effort to provide qualified assistance to all these people," said Boris Konovalov. "This includes not only material aid but also the creation of specific conditions through socialization programs. The organization's primary task is patronage service (home care). Additionally, numerous programs are in place, including an emergency assistance program for those in difficult financial situations, aid in 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 27th. On this day in 1945, the Soviet Army liberated the prisoners of the Nazi concentration camp "Auschwitz-Birkenau." According to various estimates, fascists tortured between 1.5 million and 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 continuously refined methods of extermination, conducting cruel medical experiments on representatives of the Jewish people, Slavs, and Roma. In Vitebsk, according to various data, between 16,000 and 20,000 people of Jewish nationality were exterminated during the war.

Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by