Passover is a festival of freedom. It commemorates the exodus of Jews from Egypt over 3000 years ago. The timeless and universal message of this holiday is that slaves can go free, and the future can be better than the present. Passover, or Pesach, as it is called in Hebrew, begins in the middle of […]
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Knyzhka Corner Book Review: Orphanage 41 by Victor Malarek
In this edition of Knyzka Corner, we look at Orphanage 41 by Victor Malarek. Although Victor Malarek has written six non-fiction books, Orphanage 41 is his first novel. Mykola Yashan, the 19-year old protagonist of this novel, is forced into a voyage of nightmarish self-discovery. After the sudden death of his parents in an automobile […]
Continue readingBook Review: Putin’s Putsches by Maria Lewytzkyj
In this edition of Knyzka Corner: Maria Lewytzkyj’s book Putin’s Putsches – Russia, Ukraine and the Near-Abroad Conflict. Maria Lewytzkyj defines “Putsch” as “a violent attempt to overthrow a government.” She explains that Vladimir Putin’s “hybrid war” against Ukraine is a blatant attempt to destabilize the current government. She also tells the stories of ordinary people […]
Continue readingKnyzhka Corner Book Review: Sliding on the Snow Stone by Andy Szpuk
SLIDING ON THE SNOW STONE. Szpuk, Andy. That Right Publishing, 2011. 238 p. ISBN 1466305681 When Andy Szpuk asked his father about his earliest memory, he replied, “Russian soldiers carrying corpses away.” After hearing about his father’s life, Szpuk decided that this story must be told. Sliding on the Snow Stone gives readers a […]
Continue readingUkrainian Jewish Heritage – Tisha B’Av
Download: UJH-2014-0803-Tisha B’Av Tisha B’Av is a fast day that commemorates the destruction of the two Temples in ancient times, as well as more recent tragedies befalling the Jewish people. It is sometimes referred to as “The Ninth of Av, since it falls on the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av. On the secular […]
Continue readingUkrainian Jewish Heritage – Babyn Yar
Babyn Yar is a ravine on the outskirts of Kyiv that has become a symbol of the Holocaust. There more than 100 thousand perished during the Nazi occupation, including 40,000 Jews. Babyn Yar was first mentioned in historical accounts in 1401, in connection with its sale by a “baba” (which means an old woman), to […]
Continue readingLydia Kotliarevska – Righteous Gentile
The Tkuma Ukrainian Institute for Holocaust Studies in Dnipropetrovsk contains a number of materials concerning “Righteous among the Nations”. This honorary title is given to the people of different nations who rescued Jews during WWII, from 1939 to 1945. The procedure is monitored by Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, a special committee established at the Holocaust […]
Continue readingUnique programs at Tkuma Institute for Holocaust Studies
The Tkuma Ukrainian Institute for Holocaust Studies in Dnipropetrovsk is widely known throughout Ukraine and abroad for its work devoted to Jewish history in Ukraine, Holocaust studies, and the problems of international relations. Since its inception the Tkuma Institute has been actively involved in publishing scientific monographs and textbooks, and conducting international scientific conferences and […]
Continue readingTkuma Institute for Holocaust Studies – Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine
The creation of the Tkuma Ukrainian Institute for Holocaust Studies in Dnipropetrovsk dates back to 1999. At the time it was called the Tkuma Scholarly-Educational Center and it was the first national center for studying and teaching the history of Ukraine’s Jews and the Holocaust. The institute’s name is derived from a religious moshav – […]
Continue readingUkrainian Jewish Heritage: Rebbe Nachman
«If you believe that you can damage, then believe that you can fix.» Those are the words of Rebbe Nachman, founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement. In his short life, Rebbe Nachman achieved much acclaim as a teacher and spiritual leader, and is considered a seminal figure in the history of Hasidism. He was born […]
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