Youths desecrated the Jewish cemetery in the city of Brody, Ukraine, during an erotic photo session, news outlet 4studio reported Thursday.
According to the report, young men and women took semi-nude photos on the eve of Halloween last week using Jewish tombstones as props and decorations. The Jewish cemetery in Brody is one of the largest in Ukraine, with over 8,000 people buried there, including Jews murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust.
The United Jewish Community of Ukraine expressed outrage at the blatant disrespect toward the graves and the memory of those buried in the cemetery, saying that such behavior is unacceptable.
"Dear parents, educate your children and instill the right values. A cemetery is a place of eternal rest and any immoral acts in such places are unacceptable," a statement following the incident read. "Both Jews and Ukrainians deserve respect for the burial sites of their ancestors. No internet 'like' is worth insulting graves."
The Institute for Polish-Jewish Studies’ website noted that Brody was within Polish territory before World War II and had a Jewish population of about 11,000. After the war, only 250 Jews remained in the city.
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