ࡱ> 8:9#` ubjbj\.\. .&>D>Du  ?20 0 0 0 0 qhp$ $$0 0 ^^^$ 0 0 ^$^^:,0 $ S+ . F 0?PRI8II@ R] ^TY T ?$$$$D   HOLOCAUST ERA ASSETS CONFERNECE PRAGUE 26 30 JUNE 2009 Special Session, Speaker - Alex Faiman Panel 3 - Caring for Victims of Nazism and their Legacy Ladies and Gentlemen: It is now over 64 years since the end of the World War II and the defeat of Nazism. By now, a great number of Nazisms victims who survived the Holocaust have died. Today, our duty and responsibility is to look after those who are still with us. Let us look at the facts on the ground in Eastern Europe: In the West, survivors of the Holocaust were able, through education and funding, to attain a profession and have a reasonable standard of living for themselves and their families. However, in the East after the collapse of Communism, the higher the education, the less appreciated by society one is. For example, in Ukraine a doctor earns 1200 grivna, a school teacher 1200 grivna, but a janitor earns 2000 grivna and a university professor 10% less than a janitor. So despite their education, some Holocaust survivors are only just able to survive. Before World War II in Central and Eastern Europe there were between 8 and 10 million Jews 3.5 to 4 million in the USSR, 3 to 3.5 million in Poland, and large communities in Romania and Hungary. Small numbers in Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia. Excluding the Soviet Union in the above countries, 90% were annihilated by the Nazis. 2.5 3 million survived as they managed to escape to Central Asian regions pf the Soviet Union and Siberia. Coming to the Soviet Union, the first casualties were Jews of Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and the Baltic States who could not escape. Jewish partisans who fought heroically in the forests of Lithuania and Belarus were saved as well. At this point, we should acknowledge the heroism of the great numbers of Righteous Gentiles who risked their lives to save their Jewish fellow citizens. We should be eternally grateful to them. In all, 3 million Jews survived in the Soviet Union after the War those who fought in the armed forces, partisans, and those who managed to be evacuated to the Urals, Central Asia and Siberia. After the War there was a shortage of housing, food and other basic necessities in the Soviet Union, but help was given only to those who were invalids or veterans of the War. Those who survived not only large concentration camps but also ghettos and many small labour camps did not receive any help from the Soviet authorities. No social welfare was available to cushion their misery. In the Soviet Union and the satellite peoples republics, strong anti-Semitism existed this morally killed them. For example, in the Soviet Union Trial and murder of top Kremlin doctors Closure of Jewish anti-Fascist Committee Murder of their chairman Michael, Losovsky (head of Sov-inform Bureau) Closure of Jewish theatre Yes, in the Peoples Republic originally there were Jewish Communist activists in high places, but gradually they were eliminated. For example Hungary Mathias Rakoshi Romania Ana Pauker Czechoslovakia Rudolph Slansky There was strong anti-Semitism in the Peoples Republics. Immediately after World War II, 250, 000 Jews returned to live in Poland (before the War there were 3 3.5 million. Then in 1946 there was a pogrom in Keltze, Poland. In 1968, leaders in Poland, Gomulka and Mocher, made conditions intolerable for Jews, but allowed most of them to leave the country. The old, sick or with families had to stay behind for personal or family reasons. Today, anti-Semitism is thriving in Ukraine, for example Maup. The veterans of the infamous SS Galician division have returned in great numbers. They have come from Scotland, Canada and USA. In Ivano Frankovsk they are very active in anti-Semitic activities. I should also mention that there is no memorial for those who perished in the Yanovska camp in Lviv. So, ladies and gentlemen, let us use this unique and final opportunity. We must learn the lessons of the past and at all costs prevent anti-Semitism and promote tolerance. This will benefit the surviving victims. We must maintain the Legacy: Throughout Eastern Europe, all the sites of Concentration Camps, both large and small, should be preserved as museums as a lesson for future generations. Monuments to the victims, both Jewish and Gentile, should be erected on all the sites and the Righteous Gentiles should be forever remembered as at Yad Vashem. It is imperative that financial help to the remaining victims continues and increases. In the words of Sir Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of Great Britain and the Commonwealth To be a Jew is to be alert to the poverty, suffering and loneliness of others to be a Jew is to accept responsibility.  :KRTakvw X   9:KP ´}ss}}i}i_U_i_h\AOJQJ^Jh OJQJ^JhLOJQJ^Jhd'OJQJ^Jh{OJQJ^JhROJQJ^JhRhROJQJ^JhR5OJQJ^Jh5OJQJ^Jh|h|5OJQJ^Jh\A5OJQJ^Jh|5OJQJ^Jhd'5OJQJ^Jh|h*5OJQJ^Jh|h5OJQJ^J! 9:a   vw:;WX  & FgdLu  HIu & FgdLgdL LOYtuhRh\AOJQJ^Jh OJQJ^Jh\AOJQJ^J ,1h. A!"#$% @@@ NormalCJ_HaJmH sH tH DA@D Default Paragraph FontRiR  Table Normal4 l4a (k(No Listu& 9:avw:; W X HIw@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@ 0@ 0@ 0@ 0@0@0@0@ 0@ 0@ 0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0 u uu8@0(  B S  ?*EM$FMGM#HMt!IM`JM\|KMgLMMMTNM}OMPMQM<RM|SM:TM!UM)VMWM)XM)YMt!ZM\![M