“No harm will come to you here. You are safe. “ Lilly Pohlman says she will remember these words till the end of her days. Along with the memory of a giant of a man gently reassuring her after experiencing the horror of Nazi brutality. Over 150 other Jews who survived the Holocaust in Ukraine […]
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Knyzhka Corner Book Review: The Sea is Only Knee Deep
The Sea is Only Knee Deep is the true story of Paulina Zelitsky’s defection to Canada from the Soviet Union with her two young children in 1971. These two volumes explore many topics including: Stalin’s final years, Fidel Castro’s Cuba, and the dangers defecting. Paulina’s story begins in Cuba in 1968. She is part […]
Continue readingUkrainian Jewish Heritage: Limmud FSU in Lviv 2014 & 2015
From November 6-9, 2014, Limmud FSU hosted more than 600 Jews from around Ukraine and the former Soviet Union, taking over the Hotel Dniester in Lviv’s old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site. They were there to attend presentations on Jewish art, music, culture and history hosted by Limmud FSU. They were also there to […]
Ukrainian Jewish Heritage: Night songs from a neighboring village
Welcome to Ukrainian Jewish Heritage on Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio. I’m Peter Bejger. Consider the following: Night songs from a neighboring village Come drifting at times to my balcony They quench my sorrow, caress my melancholy Flow like liquid honey Today we would like to honor the remarkable long-term music project that is called […]
Continue readingUkrainian Jewish Heritage: Stories of Khmelnytsky
A fascinating new book just published by Stanford University Press tackles the controversial legacy of a man in the shadows of history—Bohdan Khmelnytsky, a leader of the Ukrainian Cossacks in the 17th century. Stories of Khmelnytsky, sponsored in part by the Ukrainian Jewish Encounter, features provocative essays by distinguished scholars from throughout North America, Europe, […]
Continue readingRosh Hashana in Ukraine—updated
The name for the Jewish New Year is Rosh Hashana, which in Hebrew means the “head of the year.” It is one of the most important religious holidays for Jews … a day of awe and fear, but also a day of celebration. Rosh Hashana remembers the creation of the world. It’s a time for […]
Continue readingUkrainian Jewish Heritage – Lviv Klezfest
The beautiful Western Ukrainian city of Lviv has over the past few years blossomed as an artistic and cultural center, a center that is increasingly featured in the itinerary of European and global artists. The city now holds numerous festivals of national cultures. They present a full menu of events in cuisine, literature, theatre, music, […]
Continue readingUkrainian Jewish Heritage – Architecture and memory in Lviv
Architecture and memory. Restoration and commemoration. Cities and towns throughout Europe after the Holocaust have grappled with the issue of historic Jewish sites. Buildings once alive with dynamic communities can now sit in ruins. How can these haunted places be properly reintegrated into the contemporary life of cities? What do you need to consider? And […]
Continue readingUkrainian Jewish Heritage—Alfred Shreyer, Last Jew of Drohobych
Imagine everything that is dear to you in life has been lost. Imagine your world destroyed. And imagine if you can find the strength to move ahead. In 2011 the Austrian director Paul Rosdy released his film The Last Jew from Drohobych. The documentary chronicles the astonishing path of one man’s journey through the treacherous […]
Continue readingUkrainian Jewish Heritage: The Seduction of Propaganda – Part 2
As we discussed before in a previous segment, a recent conference held in the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Lviv in early June analyzed the lethal impact of destructive propaganda on community relations. The conference was organized and hosted by the Ukrainian Jewish Encounter Initiative. Entitled “The Seduction of Propaganda: Mass Violence in Ukraine in […]
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