Hundreds of Jewish communities across Russia commemorated this week the country’s victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.
V-Day, celebrated in Russia every year on May 9th, is an important date for the country, whose population, including millions of Jews, was affected by World War II and its aftermath.
The day was marked by memorial marches, veteran parades, official governmental ceremonies and more. Jewish communities members of all ages joined the official ceremonies and events organized by the Jewish Federation of Russia.
In Moscow, Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar visited the Fallen Soldiers’ memorial near Kremlin. He was joined by the Jewish community’s war veterans and Jewish school students.
Rabbi Lazar recited the Kaddish prayer for soldiers, who perished fighting the Nazis.
“By defeating the Nazi army, Soviet soldiers did not only save their country – they saved the entire world,” he said at the ceremony.
Rabbi Lazar also addressed the veterans, thanking them for their heroism during and after the war, when they found “strength to rebuild burned homes and repair broken lives.”
A memorial event was also held in Moscow’s Shaarei Zedek humanitarian aid center. It was attended by Israel’s ambassador to Russia Gary Koren, who told the community members about the Victory Day events in Israel.
Across the region, other former Soviet Union countries such as Ukraine and Belarus also joined the commemorations. Jewish communities attended memorial ceremonies in Minsk, Odessa, Kharkov, Zhitomir and beyond.
Jewish students and young adults met with war veterans to hear their stories and express gratitude. EnerJew activists visited those of them, who are home-bound, making sure no one was left out on the date.
The movement also created a video-project in which teenagers share their thoughts on the war – many speak about their grandfathers and great-grandfathers and the sacrifices they made.
“Even now, after more than 70 years since the war’s end, the memories of the black hole it left in people’s lives and in the course of all humanity are vivid – they can never be erased from the nation’s collective memory. Our mission is to fill that void with light,” states one of the participants in the video.
Yes it was an agreement, however there was a document which Winston Churchill referred as the ” naughty document ” which divided up Europe between the British,French and Russia and then Stalin totally ignored and took all the eastern block of lands for himself and part of Finland Which made thousands and thousands die and suffer including returning people from the western section of Europe, the point is still ” Where is the memorial to these people and the Jews who perished ” No memorial is acknowledged to them at all !!!!!!!!!!!!
“Stalin ( y’mach Shmo ) deceived the British and the Americans at Potsdam and grabbed land after land”
It was not a deception but an agreement, however, terrible the results were. People that Stalin demanded the West returns to the Sovietunion were grabbed off the streets of Paris and London.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed that.
Yes it is true the Russians suffered terribly during the war and many Jewish people who fought and died fighting in their army against the nazis, however it should be remembered that Stalin ( y’mach Shmo ) deceived the British and the Americans at Potsdam and grabbed land after land which caused the death and suffering of thousands and thousands of people after the war. Where is the memory for them !!!!!!!
Black hole, the Russians are copying their infamous goose step.