January 27th marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi German Concentration and Extermination Camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945. Fifty years later, in November of 2005, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed this date International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, or simply International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Holocaust […]
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Ukrainian Jewish Heritage – Message to the Leaders of the Maidan
Vitaly Nachmanovych is a historian and ethnopolitologist specializing in Jewish Ukrainian history. His accomplishments are numerous. Among other things he is: a leading researcher at the Museum of History in Kyiv, with a special focus on the atrocity of Babyn Yar, the author of numerous articles and the editor of numerous publications dealing with the […]
Continue readingFalse accusations of anti-semitism in Ukraine
Volodymyr Valkov, of the Jewish Heritage Museum in Ukraine, discusses charges of anti-Semitism in response to a New Year’s skit on the Maidan in which Jewish persons were depicted in a derogatory manner. * Transcript: The pro-European protests in Ukraine that started on November 21 of last year have attracted international attention. The massive protests are seen […]
Continue readingUkrainian Jewish Heritage: Tu Bishvat
On January 16th, 2014 Jews in Ukraine and around the world will observe Tu Bishvat …traditionally known as the new year of the trees. According to the tradition of the Hasidim, on Tu Bishvat the Almighty decides the fate of trees and their fruits in the upcoming year’s harvest. As on all Jewish holidays and […]
Continue readingTimothy Snyder off the mark on post-WWII Ukraine
Ukrainian Jewish reaction to academic/author Timothy Snyder’s recent presentation in Geneva. Transcript: Добрий день! This is Renata Hanynets, at the Faina Petryakova Scientific Centre for Judaica and Jewish Arts, a branch of the Jewish Heritage Museum in Lviv, Ukraine. Recently, our executive assistant at the Jewish Heritage Museum, Volodymyr Valkov, travelled to Geneva to hear a […]
Continue readingUkrainian Jewish Heritage: Brody Cemetary
Brody is a city in western Ukraine, located in the the Lviv Oblast, or province, 90 kilometres northeast of Lviv. It is now the administrative center of the Brody Raion, or district, with a population of about 24 thousand. At one time, Brody was one of the greatest centers of commerce in Eastern Europe, outside […]
Continue readingUkrainian Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky – “Saviour of the Jews”
Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky is known as the `saviour of Jews` during World War II. Renata Hanynets explains why, in this week’s look at Ukraine’s Jewish Heritage. Transcript. Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky is known as the `saviour of Jews` during World War II. In the words of Rabbi David Kahane: “When I call Andrey Sheptytskyi a […]
Continue readingBook Review: Brovko’s Amazing Journey & Andrei and the Snow Walker by Larry Warwaruk
BROVKO’S AMAZING JOURNEY Warwaruk, Larry Coteau Books, 2013. 159 p. ISBN 1-55050-555-9 ANDREI AND THE SNOW WALKER Warwaruk, Larry Coteau Books, 2002. 195 p. ISBN 1-55050-213-1 Reviewed by Myra Junyk Transcript: On this edition of Knyzhka Corner, we look at two books by Saskatchewan author Larry Warwaruk. Brovko’s Amazing Journey traces the incredible journey […]
Continue readingUkrainian Jewish Heritage: Jews in Drohobych
Drohobych is a city located at the confluence of the Tysmenytsia River and Seret, a tributary of the former, in the Lviv Oblast, in western Ukraine. The current estimated population is nearly 78 thousand. Jews had lived in or near Drohobycz as early as the fifteenth century. However an officially recognized community was not established […]
Continue readingUkrainian Jewish Heritage: Kamianets-Podilsk
Kamianets was an ancient and important centre of Jewish life. Now called Kamianets-Podilskyi, today it is a city in western Ukraine, north-east of Chernivtsi. The first part of the city’s dual name originates from камiнь, meaning “stone.” The second part relates to Podillia, of which it is considered to be the historic capital. Podillia is […]
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