Babi Yar
“Michael [Sidko]’s story is intertwined with the story of the State of Israel, which arose from the ashes of the Holocaust, in order to stop the shedding of Jewish blood and to build a home for the Jewish people in the land of their ancestors,” said Speaker of the Knesset Mickey Levy.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the global challenges for democracy, the plight of political prisoners around the world and the importance of combating anti-Semitism in all of its forms.
The premiere of “Babi Yar. Context” comes just two months before the 80th anniversary of the massacre.
A total of 33,771 Jewish victims were shot at the Babi Yar ravine by the Nazis during just two days, Sept. 29 and 30, 1941.
“We are planting the trees in order to commemorate the Jews of Kyiv massacred at Babi Yar. These saplings will grow tall to memorialize the lives lost, yet we won’t be able to enjoy their fruits when they ripen,” said Chabad Rabbi Jonathan Benyamin Markovitch.
“I tell my girls, everything we do is in the name of Israel,” said Ira Vigdorchik. “You can only be an Olympic champion if you feel you are part of your country. Everything we are doing is for the flag of Israel.”
“We have no right to forget these terrible crimes. Never again,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Since the establishment of independent Ukraine, Jews have been acknowledged; however, attempts to create an official memorial that honors all victims and provides a framework to impart the message of the Holocaust—of “Never Again”—have repeatedly stalled.
“For humanity, Babi Yar is a warning sign. For Jews, Babi Yar is an eternal imperative,” said the Israeli prime minister of the estimated 33,771 Jews were massacred in September 1941.
The Israeli prime minister is scheduled to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, and take part in a memorial ceremony at Babi Yar.
