On January 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Jewish Community Center in Nikolayev held a memorial ceremony. The event was attended by representatives from various community groups, former ghetto and concentration camp prisoners, scientists, teachers and students, as well as government officials. Among the latter were Deputy Governor Vyacheslav Rukomanov and Elena Ivashko, the Head of the Nationalities Department of the Nikolayev Regional Administration.
The chairman of the regional Jewish community, Mikhail Goldenberg, spoke about the country-wide project “Six Million Hearts” and its connection to the Remembrance Day event. He also invited the Deputy Governor to open the program. Mr. Rukomanov shared his feelings of grief for the innocent victims whose lives were so senselessly and brutally taken, and assured the audience that the government’s position would always be aimed at preventing manifestations of xenophobia and anti-Semitism.
Speeches concerned not only remembering the Holocaust but also the efforts being undertaken to assure that the Holocaust will never be forgotten. Regional archives director Larissa Levchenko spoke about the long-term, collaborative work being carried out with the community to clarify the identity of Holocaust victims in the database at the Israeli Yad Vashem Museum, and a book that was compiled based on these searches. Dr. Natalia Sugatskaya, an historian, introduced her new book “Tragic Events in the Nikolayev Region in 1941-44,” which she published based on her research. Much of the book is devoted to Holocaust victims.
The most moving moment was when Holocaust survivor Dina Levkina got up to speak. Everyone was spellbound when she described the deplorable conditions of those who had to take refuge from the Nazis, how she was saved by local residents, what hardship her mother had to endure, and about the first years after the war.
Elena Ivashko, the head of the Regional Nationalities Department, noted the existence of conditions for maintaining inter-ethnic accord and harmony. She stated that the regional leadership will do everything to preserve the memory of Holocaust victims and to strengthen the atmosphere of tolerance within society.
Throughout the evening, classical music was performed by the Bravo String Quartet, under the direction of Natalya Ilchuk. Former ghetto prisoner Sima Muzykus lit six candles symbolizing the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust. There was a strong showing of young people, many of whom had participated in the "Heritage" student’s seminar recently held by the Nikolayev Center for Jewish Education.
At the end of the Remembrance Day ceremony, Jewish community chairman Mikhail Goldenberg told the audience that the preparation work on another monument is nearing completion; it will be erected in Nikolayev on the site where Jews were gathered and shot in those dark days. The monument is expected to be completed in time for the 70th anniversary of World War II. The funding for the new monument has been undertaken by the United Jewish Community of Ukraine and with funds collected by the Nikolayev Jewish community