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Yad Vashem and the GA
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by Aryeh Zuckerman
GA delegates tour the new
Museum Complex at Yad Vashem |
At the recent United Jewish
Communities of North America (UJC) annual General Assembly (GA) in
Jerusalem, Yad Vashem—marking its Jubilee Year—was given a place
of honor among the various events.
On November 13, a special session of
the Zionist General Council was held at Yad Vashem, commemorating
50 years of cooperation between the institutions. The event
included a tour of the site and a memorial service, attended by
some 200 representatives from Zionist federations in Israel and
the Diaspora. Speaking at the event were Chairman of the Zionist
General Council, Dr. Yitzhak Chen; Chairman of the Jewish Agency
for Israel, Sallai Meridor; and Chairman of the Yad Vashem
Council, Professor Szewach Weiss.
On 16 November, Chairman of the Yad
Vashem Directorate, Avner Shalev spoke at the Jewish Agency
Assembly, and representatives of the various communities and
federations signed the Declaration of Remembrance.
During the GA, Yad Vashem gave
attendants special online access to the Shoah Victims’
Names Database (see p.2). Representatives of the American Embassy
in Israel, businesspeople, and federation heads attended the
launch of the pilot program at Jerusalem’s International Congress
Center where the GA was held. Yossie Hollander, a successful
hi-tech entrepreneur and supporter of the project, and UJC
National Major Gifts Chairman and American Society for Yad Vashem
Executive Committee member Mark Wilf addressed the audience.
During a special day of tours on 18
November, GA participants were shown new developments at Yad
Vashem and heard about its continuing efforts to commemorate and
educate about the Shoah. In addition, visits and meetings
with federation leaders were held at Yad Vashem before, during and
after the GA, reinforcing its relationship with North American
Jewish communities.
In light of the current wave of
antisemitism and terror, Holocaust education has become
increasingly relevant for the Jewish people, and was a natural
focus of the daily agenda at the GA. Yad Vashem appealed to the
communities to join hands in this vital endeavor.
The author is Special Advisor to
the Chairman of the Directorate
Copyright ©2004 Yad Vashem The Holocaust
Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority |
