The second volume of 'Pages of the Blockade Memory' has been presented in Jerusalem

On July 6, the Russian Library in central Jerusalem hosted the presentation of the second volume of memoirs by survivors of the Siege of Leningrad, titled "Pages of Siege Memory," published with the support of the EAJC. The event was attended by public figures, representatives of the Jerusalem chapter of the Association of Israel Veterans, municipal authorities, and the direct protagonists of the book—survivors of the Siege. The event was organized by the Association of Israel Veterans with the support of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.

The volume, "Pages of Siege Memory," comprises the recollections of over 50 individuals who survived the war and the Siege in Leningrad, enduring hunger, chilling cold, shelling, and the loss of loved ones. The majority of the authors currently residing in Israel are over eighty years old, yet their vivid memories have preserved every detail of life under siege.

According to the organizers of the presentation, the primary objective of the second volume is to sustain a dialogue on the devastating and monstrous nature of war, and on the vital need to genuinely value and cherish peace, through individual stories of human tragedy, grief, courage, and valor. The attendees noted that protecting future generations from catastrophe is only possible by constantly reminding them of the horrific events of World War II.

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress is actively committed to preserving the memory of the tragedies of World War II. Under the auspices of the organization, a specialized scientific and educational memorial program has been launched. Within the framework of this project, the first volume of "Pages of Siege Memory" was translated into Hebrew, supplemented by an online information project, «Память блокадного Ленинграда».

During the presentation of the second edition in Jerusalem, the audience was addressed by Michael Beizer, a historian, writer, and specialist in the history of the Siege and the Jews of Leningrad, as well as Yuri Nemaizer, an activist in the movement to preserve the memory of the Siege. Their analytical materials served as the basis for the Claims Conference decision to recognize Siege survivors as Holocaust survivors, which was formally adopted by the German government in late 2021.

Alexander Gelfand, head of the Jerusalem chapter of the Association of Veterans, and Leonid Yuniverg, publisher of the first volume, expressed high appreciation for the extensive work involved in compiling and publishing the second volume.

Additionally, the presentation featured an address by 91-year-old Emilia Rapoport, whose story is included in the collection. She recited her own poetry about the Siege and her beloved cities, Jerusalem and Leningrad. According to another participant, Siege survivor Mikhail Bukin, even young children preserved distinct, horrific episodes of the Siege tragedy in their memories forever. A particularly moving moment of the presentation was the account by the daughter of a 17-year-old Siege survivor, whose diary excerpts were included in the first volume; Alla Skurzhinskaya shared that her grandson, after reading his great-grandfather's story in Hebrew, asked: "Grandmother, is my great-grandfather a hero?".