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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was born to a Jewish family, participated Sunday morning in a small ceremony initiated by his office, in cooperation with the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU) and the Babi Yar Memorial Organization, at the Babi Yar killing field in the city of Kyiv. The ceremony was held to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp from the Nazis.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the site of the Babi Yar massacre for a memorial ceremony
(Video: FJCU)
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Zelensky has participated in two events at the site – an event on the anniversary of the massacre of the Jews of Kiev at Babi Yar and an event to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which was attended by hundreds of rabbis, ambassadors, government officials and other dignitaries.
Sunday's event was attended by dozens of ambassadors from around the world, led by Israeli Ambassador Michael Brodsky. The small ceremony – which included Zelensky – was attended by a quorum of 10 Jewish men, and the Kaddish and El Malei Rachamim Jewish prayer for the dead were recited, which was led by the Deputy Chairman of the Jewish Federation Rabbi Raphael Rothman.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was born to a Jewish family, at the Babi Yar massacre memorial
(Photo: FJCU)
The ceremony was attended by the chairman of the Jewish communities in Ukraine, and Ukrainian rabbis: Chief Rabbi of Donbas Rabbi Pinchas Vyshetsky, Kyiv Rabbi Mordechai Levenharts, and Chief Rabbi of Lugansk Rabbi Shalom Gopin.
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The Chairman of the Federation Council in Ukraine, Rabbi Meir Stambler, said that the fact that dozens of ambassadors came to the event indicates that the world is asking for forgiveness for the crimes of the Holocaust, has learned from the lessons of the past, and demands a true, decent, and better world.
He also noted that Ukraine is investing heavily in implementing Holocaust studies, out of President Zelensky's understanding that the younger generation must be educated about the lessons of the Holocaust - unlike the communists who hid the issue, which caused antisemitism and ignorance to flourish.