On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27, the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) and the global Ukrainian diaspora honour the memory of the victims, including over 4.5 million adults and 1.5 million children, executed and tortured by the Nazi regime.
Holocaust is one of the most horrific tragedies of a global scale made possible by the rule of totalitarian Nazi ideology based on xenophobia and cultivation of intolerance and hatred. As stated in the UN Resolution: “The Holocaust, which resulted in the murder of one third of the Jewish people, along with countless members of other minorities, will forever be a warning to all people of the dangers of hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice…”
On this day of remembrance we pray for the innocent Holocaust victims, including 1.5 million Ukrainian Jews. We also pay tribute to those who risked their lives to save those doomed to death. Among over 27 000 Righteous Among the Nations, 2634 Ukrainians have been recognized to date. This is further testimony that the stories of our people are incomplete without each other. We are confident that in the future the lists of the Righteous will include new names, and we support the call of Ukrainian academics and civil society leaders, as well as the most recent call to Yad Vashem by Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Moshe Reuven Azman to award Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky this honorable title.
“The Ukrainian World Congress strongly condemns any and all modern threatening displays of anti-semitism, racism and hatred and urges the world to not allow horrendous history lessons, similar to those of the Holocaust, to be repeated. At the same time we recognize the achievements of all those who became the pillars of hope and salvation during the atrocities of the Holocaust,” stated Paul Grod, UWC President.
