ALEXANDRIA, Ukraine – A monument to Jews murdered in the Holocaust in the Alexandria Region of Ukraine was inaugurated on May 28th. The event took place on the Day of the City, involving representatives of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine, government officials, the local Jewish community and hundreds of other local residents.
The city's Mayor, Alexei Skichko, stated that this was a historical moment of justice, despite the fact that this monument should have been erected much earlier and that he regretted that many residents of Alexandria didn’t live to see its unveiling. "We have to remember our roots; we have to keep in mind that Jews once constituted the majority of Alexandria's population. We have to cherish the memory of these innocent victims of Hitler’s genocide," stated the Mayor.
Rabbi Eli Paley from the FJC Ukraine recited the Yizkor Prayer and a personal message to the Jewish community from Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Azriel Chaikin, in which he expressed that he was deeply touched by the fact that the revived community of Alexandria has retained the memory of their past. "Thank G-d, your community has found the opportunity to erect this memorial," he added. "I ask that G-d bless the Jewish community of Alexandria and pray for residents of this city to be happy and healthy".
The ceremony involved officials from the City Administration, members of the City Council, leaders from several different religions, teachers and eye-witnesses to the mass shooting of Jews in Alexandria. Jewish community Chairman Alexander Liberzon told how difficult it was to raise funds for the monument's construction. Local businessmen Mikhail Spektor and Nikolai Lavrenko felt that a memorial plaque wasn’t enough to commemorate the 2,500 Jews killed here; they contributed enough funds for a big memorial in the city's center. Nikolai Lavrenko, an ethnic Ukrainian and a Deputy in the national parliament, noted: "We, residents of Ukraine, must help each other. The fact that I, a Ukrainian, participated in this project is very symbolic and, in my opinion, was the right thing to do".
Currently, the Jewish community of Alexandria is planning to restore one of the largest Jewish cemeteries known to exist in Ukraine. "It will take time and lots of efforts to restore this cemetery, but we will do it," expressed Jewish community Chairman Alexander Liberzon. "I believe that one day there will be a Synagogue in Alexandria, and there will be Jewish weddings and Bar Mitzvah ceremonies here and that my children will live to see it. Jews will always live in Alexandria and there will always be a Jewish community in our city."
You Can Help
