Euroasian Jewish News

Representatives of more than 20 Jewish organizations from Kiev, Ukraine and the CIS, including the EAJC Vice-President E.Chervon

Representatives of more than 20 Jewish organizations from Kiev, Ukraine and the CIS, including the EAJC Vice-President Eugeniy Chervonenko and the General Council Chairman Joseph Zissels and other members of EAJC head-management, have called “Joint” to refuse from building the community center “Heritage” in Babiy Yar.
The authors of the address have called to restrict building in Babiy Yar. They persuade not to go beyond constructing the memorial-museum and to locate the community center in other place in Kiev.
The project of the Jewish community center “Heritage” in Babiy Yar.
Babiy Yar is a symbol of Holocaust for all the Jews, citizens of the former USSR and the entire world. 100 000 people were exterminated and one half of them were Jews. They were left unburied and their corpses were burnt by Germans before they left Kiev. The ash was dispersed.
Dozens of years after war the soviet government did not permit to immortalize their memory. The, so-called, monument to soviet citizens exterminated by nazis became the modest compromise.
During 60-s there was made the attempt to destroy the place of tragedy itself. Tough the protests of Kiev intelligence did not let this vandal plans to come true.
Every year in September people visited this place to commemorate their relatives. Despite the prohibition and arrests they came here following their hearts.
Two years ago the American Jewish distributing committee “Joint” has gathered 50 million dollars for the grandiose project. Enormous communal centers were planed to be built in three cities of the former USSR. On initiator’s intention the centers will become the symbol of rebirth and the focus of Jewish life. Such project presupposes the existence of Jewish theatre, numerous hobby groups for children and adults, youth clubs, sport gyms and cafes.
They suggested building one of the centers in Babiy Yar (Kiev). City authorities have marked out the land for construction for “Joint” (not for the city community). The chosen place is right near the monument to soviet citizens. They have declared the contest of architectural projects.
Right during the public discussion of these projects something unexpected has happened. One by one people came out to the scene of the Palace of Artists to say that idea of such building is blasphemy in itself and to wonder if it was really not possible to find another place in Kiev for building…
Jewish community of Kiev, organizations of national minorities of Ukraine and Ukrainian society have started to discuss possibilities for building the center in Babiy Yar. Now this discussion became the important constituent of cultural and political life of Ukraine. Authorities of the Jewish community, Mass Media, Ukrainian national minority’s press emerge against building.