Jewish Communities of the Euro-Asian Region Commemorate Holocaust Victims

The Jewish communities of the Euro-Asian region and member organizations of the EAJC honored the memory of the victims of the Holocaust with commemorative events dedicated to International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.

Communities and organizations in the region joined the annual campaign #WeRemember, initiated by the World Jewish Congress and supported by the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.

The Jewish Association of the Philippines, which recently joined the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, held a memorial candle-lighting ceremony at the Philippine Women's University. The ceremony was attended by seven ambassadors from foreign nations. It is worth noting that the Philippines was the only country in the world that actively engaged in saving Jewish lives during the Holocaust.

The Jewish Community of Armenia marked the memorial day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz with a rally near the monument dedicated to the Holocaust victims. The gathering was attended by representatives of the President and Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, leaders of Armenian national communities, French Ambassador to Armenia Jonathan Lacôte, a representative of the Russian Embassy in Armenia, members of the press, and other dignitaries.

Almaty hosted an event dedicated to International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp, organized by the "Mitsva" Association of Jewish National Organizations in Kazakhstan, the representation of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress in Central Asia, and the UN Information Office. The event brought together leaders of ethno-cultural associations, veterans of the Second World War and home front workers, representatives of the international diplomatic corps, civil activists, youth, and leaders of various religious groups.

In Moscow, a youth meeting was held with former prisoners of ghettos and Nazi concentration camps, organized by EAJC member organizations — the Russian Union of Jewish Students and the Moscow Public Organization of Jews-Former Prisoners of Ghettos and Nazi Concentration Camps.

This marks the fourth meeting within the framework of the joint project by the student union and the association of former prisoners, aimed at preserving historical memory and combating Holocaust denial.

Russia's Hillel educational events engaged young people across eight Russian cities. An exhibition titled "Auschwitz — a Place on Earth" opened in the Khabarovsk Synagogue; Penza hosted a meeting with concentration camp survivors; Yekaterinburg, in cooperation with the local Jewish community, held an evening of dramatic readings from Anne Frank's diary; Novosibirsk hosted an evening in memory of Holocaust victims; and St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk observed Memorial Shabbats.

As part of the events dedicated to International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, on February 3 in Moscow, the Center for Documentary Cinema and KARO.Art will host the premiere screening of the documentary "Anne Frank: Parallel Stories." Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren will guide viewers through the film about the life of Anne Frank, the Jewish girl whose name became a defining symbol of the Holocaust. The premiere is supported by Hillel Russia, the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center, and the Knizhniki Publishing House. Actress Kseniya Rappoport will address the audience prior to the screening.

The Jewish Community of Montenegro and the EAJC representation in the Balkan region paid tribute to the victims of the Holocaust at a solemn ceremony attended by community president Đorđe Raičević, Montenegrin Minister for Human and Minority Rights Mehmed Zenka, Chief Rabbi of Montenegro Ari Edelkopf, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Israeli Embassy in Serbia and Montenegro Maayan Ben Tura, the ambassadors of Great Britain, Germany, and the United States, alongside other honored guests.

The Human Rights and Freedoms Committee and the Committee on Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Montenegro supported the initiative of the Jewish Community of Montenegro and held a conference dedicated to International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Conference participants expressed their commitment to educating younger generations to ensure that the tragedy of the Holocaust is never repeated.

Chairman of Maccabi Russia, Vadim Polyansky, spoke at a ceremony honoring Holocaust victims at the House of Friendship and laid flowers at the memorial plaque "To the Jews — Citizens and Defenders of the Besieged Leningrad" at the Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery.

On January 31, the Jewish Community Center of St. Petersburg will host a solemn event organized by Maccabi Russia, dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.

On January 27, the Synagogue of European Jews in Baku held a ceremony dedicated to International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The ceremony was attended by representatives of international organizations, as well as the ambassadors of Israel, the United States, Great Britain, Russia, and Germany.

In their addresses, Alexander Sharovsky, Chairman of the Tbilisi/Baku European Jewish community, Mubariz Gurbanli, Chairman of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations, George Deek, Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Ravan Hasanov, Director of the Baku International Multiculturalism Center, and Chief Rabbi Shneor Segal of the European Jewish Community emphasized the critical importance of combating anti-Semitism and racism, noting that Jews in Azerbaijan live in a secure environment.

On January 27 in Belgrade, Minister Zoran Đorđević led a ceremony dedicated to International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the site of the Sajmište concentration camp. Members of the Belgrade Jewish community also laid wreaths at Topovske Šupe, one of the first concentration camps for Jews and Roma in Europe, located near the city center. Additionally, the Belgrade Jewish community joined the memorial ceremony dedicated to the 78th anniversary of the Novi Sad raid to honor the 1,300 Serbs, Jews, and Roma massacred there.

The Jewish community of Belgrade invited residents to the premiere of the short documentary "Porajmos" (referring to the Holocaust in the Romani language). The Kolarac Art Cinema hosted the premiere of two films by Goran Musić — "Amos Oz: The Nature of Dreams" and "Agnesa Jeremija: The First 100 Years." The Jewish community of Zrenjanin presented the premiere of a theatrical performance titled "No Address Specified," dedicated to Holocaust remembrance.

Educational workshops, memorial ceremonies, meetings, and webinars organized by Project Kesher and aimed at preserving the memory of the Holocaust were held across numerous cities in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. An online bridge dedicated to International Holocaust Remembrance Day connected Project Kesher activists and students of ORT schools in Kyiv, Vilnius, and Odesa.

As part of the "Women Art Challenger" youth initiative for Holocaust Remembrance Day, the progressive Jewish community of Tver presented the animated short film "Francesca." In Gomel, an interactive exhibition titled "Path of Memory," featuring materials from Yad Vashem, was opened to the public.

The traditional ceremony at the Tbilisi Jewish Community House began with the lighting of six candles in memory of the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. The event was attended by Israeli Ambassador to Georgia Ran Gidor, diplomatic representatives from Poland, Germany, the United States, Lithuania, Latvia, as well as representatives of Jewish organizations and members of the Georgian Jewish community.

Raphael Mesengiser, Chairman of the Union of Jewish Communities of Georgia, recited the Kaddish. Footage from Holocaust documentaries, excerpts from surviving letters of concentration camp prisoners, and Jewish songs and nigunim performed by the vocal studio "Shir" of the Jewish Cultural and Educational Foundation all served to embody the living memory of the tragedy of the Jewish people.