International Holocaust Day Event held in Moscow

Marking International Holocaust Day, and the 75th anniversary to the siege on the city of Petersburg, an annual ceremony was held at the large Jewish Museum in central Moscow. It was broadcast directly through dozens of media outlets all over Russia.

The event was attended by the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berel Lazar; Chairwoman of the Federation Council of Russia, Mrs. Valentina Ivanovna Matviyenko, heads of foreign diplomatic envoys to the United States, Germany, Poland and Latvia, representatives of all religions in Russia, President of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Russia, Rabbi Alexander Boroda, Chairman to the Jewish Museum’s Board of Trustees Mr. Felix Vekselberg. The event was emceed by Rabbi Boruch Gorin, Chairman of the Museum’s Board of Directors.

The ceremony was opened by the Chief Rabbi of Russia reciting the “Keil Malei Rachamim” prayer service in memory of the holocaust martyrs. Later on, during his keynote address he said the following: ” The reason that one must remember to erase the name of Amalek daily, is because it says about them that ‘He does not fear G-d’, and therefore he fought against Israel, because he wanted to uproot their faith in G-d. We have seen this with Germany as well. A highly educated nation of intellectuals, but without faith in G-d. This is what causes people to reach such a terrible situation as the Nazis did. Only a constant and unshakable faith in God will stop it and therefore we must publicize and educate each and every individual to these values. We’re sure there will not be another Holocaust! ”

This tragedy happened because there were those who thought that there is room for negotiation or to seek compromise. Today we know that our task is not to stand by quietly. It is impossible to agree that all opinions have a right to exist. Evil does not have a right to exist, and we must strive to reveal this truth by spreading goodness and kindness to all.

Chairwoman of the Federation Council noted that the Holocaust was one of the most monstrous crimes of the twentieth century. She stressed that in Russia, we all share the memory and the mourning, and all attempts in Russia to deny the Holocaust are being stopped immediately and abruptly. “We must remember this so that nothing like it will ever happen again.”

Rabbi Alexander Boroda presented the new exhibitions that opened in the museum, a testimony to Jewish heroism at all costs and conditions.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the participants lit six memorial candles in memory of the six million martyrs who perished in the Holocaust.

photos by Levi Nazarov