Увековечить память жертв нацизма

Уваековечить память жертв нацизма

By Vladimir Matveyev

Lasting long time vandalism at Rovno Holocaust massacre upsets Jewish community but new local authorities' statements and steps rise hopes in community breast.

The mass grave near the town of Rovno, in Northwest Ukraine, has been desecrated repeatedly over the years, mainly by people searching for gold - tooth crowns, wedding rings and other valuables - that the Jews were believed to have been wearing when they were killed. "Former regional officials didn't like Jews and did nothing to stop vandalism. But now we find mutual understanding with new governor and his team appointed in 2006." said Gennady Fraerman, director of Rovno Hesed Osher.

That area is called Sosonki and during two days in November 1941 it became a grave for some 17,500 Jews killed by Nazi and local collaborators and 8,000 more killed in 1942 in Kostopol area not far from Rovno.

On the eve of the WWII over half of the Rovno population was Jewish but today community estimated 600-700 members, mostly elderly and non-Halahical. And only 12-20 Jews attend services in local synagogue.

Altogether 98,000 Jews were murdered during 1941-1942 in the region, when Rovno was the administrative center of Reichskommissariat Ukraine. "Level of collaboration was high and local mostly were "neutral" or supported Nazi," said Valentina Danilicheva, scientist of Rovno Museum of Local Lore. 

In 1967 Soviet memorial sign was established in Sosonki and in 1991-1992 Holocaust Memorial complex was raised. It includes "old" burial place and new Memorial site with central Obelisk and 68 tombstones with victims' names in Yiddish.

In 2006 adding to the horror that massacre was regularly desecrated, Jewish activists besides bones found there remains of the victims. Fraerman told that from 1995 the memorial became the place for vandalism and orgies but in 2006 remains were found: "Past year I found again holes and about forty corpses and fragments scattered all over the site."

Vandals dig tunnel under asphalt foot-path and mined and took remains. That is why the paths began to fall in and new holes appeared.

On the eve of memorial service of the Holocaust victims in Sosonki last November, local Jews exhumed some of the remains and gave them a traditional Jewish burial at the site.

Last years some other attempts of local alarmed Jewish community. In 2005 community protested against an attempt to build camping-site near by massacre (80 meters) and in 2006 - against the project of Rovno City Council to transfer the Sosonki memorial site – 19,600 square meter – to the land reserve of city council. "It was an attempt for further sale of the Memorial site," Fraerman said.

Rovno Jewish community repeatedly asked local authorities to organize mobile patrol of memorial territory and to stop vandalism. "But when the governor was anti-Semite Vasily Chervoniy our attempts were unsuccessful," said Sofia Lyashenko. "After all, establishment of order depends on local authority."

"It was manifestation of anti-Semitism of some politicians who shut their eyes on vandalism in Sosonki," said Danilicheva.

Jewish activists say that xenophobia and anti-Semitism are still an issue in Rovno and Chervoniy and his followers are still rather influential in the region.

Rovno was the only region where UNA-UNSO ultra-nationalist political party was officially registered.

"About 30-40 percent of local share today Chervoniy anti-Semitic views," said Yakov Grifko, leader of Rovno Israeli Cultural Center. Natalia Bertash, leader of local Jewish youth club, added: "Situation is worse because many young people  support anti-Semitism. The synagogue windows were shattered on Chanukah and some people usually make fun of rabbi in traditional cloth."

After Rovno Jewish community appeals and letters to local authorities and Jewish organizations it looks like new region officials try to solve the problem.

"Last November at the meeting with Viktor Matchuk, governor of Rovno region, he gave orders to police and other services to protect Memorial against vandals,' said Fraerman. "After this meeting the holes were paved with asphalt, turnpike was erected at the Memorial entrance and mobile police regularly patrols the territory."

Rabbi Shneur Shneersohn, Chief rabbi of Rovno, shares these hopes: "Now we have with whom to speak. Governor Matchuk visited Chanukah festival and gave gifts to our children."

Anatoly Zhukovsky, vice-governor, told JTA that tragedy in Sosonki "is a tragedy of all Ukrainian people" and new local authority would protect the Memorial against vandalism.

"We are open and don't divide people on the basis of language, ethnicity or religion," said Zhukovsky. "Administration organized regular mobile police patrol, covered up and asphalt the holes. This spring we are going to repair the Memorial together with Jewish community."

Activists of the Jewish community also met with city officials and discussed several incidents of anti-Semitism and vandalism in Rovno. City officials promised to repair the Sosonki perimeter with a durable fence. The regional and city administrations promised that the Memorial would be constantly protected against vandalism and hooliganism.

Rovno Jewish community organizes fundraising and hopes that on the eve of Victory Day in May, the main underground tunnel would be covered and Memorial repaired. "Every member of Jewish community makes monthly 1 hryvnia contribution but this is not enough," said Fraerman.

Jewish leaders say that the community and local authority have no enough money to organize all this properly and they need support.

"Rovno Jewish community asks Jews of all over the world for help to repair and maintain the memorial," said Fraerman.