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“Remembering the Past,
Shaping the Future”
Yad Vashem marks the opening of
its Jubilee Year
by Leah
Goldstein
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The Jubilee Year Opening
Event |
In
September 2003, Yad Vashem marked the beginning of its Jubilee
year. Hundreds of guests came from around the world to partake in
a host of new dedications, unique ceremonies and special events.
Among the guests and dignitaries from Israel and abroad were the
President and Prime Minister of Israel, government ministers, the
Chief Rabbi, members of the Diplomatic Corps, the Chairman of the
World Jewish Congress, delegations of international Yad Vashem
Friends societies, Holocaust survivors and Righteous Among the
Nations.
Following are some of the highlights of those exceptional events:
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Minister Yosef (Tommy) Lapid |
David Azrieli (left) opens the
new Book and Resource Center, watched by Stephanie Azrieli,
Danny Hakim, Danna Azrieli and Naomi Azrieli |
On
14 September, the new Book and Resource Center was inaugurated in
the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, Yosef (Tommy) Lapid MK; donors David and Stephanie Azrieli and
family; Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yonah Metzger; Chairman of the Yad
Vashem Council,
Professor Szewach Weiss; and Chairman of the Yad
Vashem Directorate, Avner Shalev.
“I
am proud and grateful to Yad Vashem for giving me the honor of
contributing to the establishment of the Book and Resource
Center. The Center stores memories of the past, but most of all,
it will enable Yad Vashem’s visitors to bring the books to life as
they read them.” David Azrieli
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Left to right:
Avner Shalev, Reuven Rivlin MK, Professor Szewach Weiss, Dov
Shilansky, Yossi Sheli |
In
an official ceremony at the Knesset on 15 September, the Israel
Philatelic Service issued
two new commemorative stamps in honor of
Yad Vashem’s Jubilee Year. In attendance were: Speaker of the
Knesset, Reuven Rivlin MK; Yad Vashem Directorate member, Dov
Shilansky; Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council, Professor Szewach
Weiss; and Chairman and Director-General of the Postal Authority,
Yossi Sheli.
“Never have I had such a valuable opportunity to use stamps to
express something more significant than all the events in the life
of our people commemorated by previous stamps—a terrible event,
that we must never forget, and that we must never allow to be
forgotten.”
Reuven Rivlin MK
The ‘Ringleblum’
Box |
In a
ceremony at Janusz Korczak Square on 15 September, Yad Vashem
received the original box in which historian Dr. Emmanuel
Ringelblum hid the underground archive—code named Oneg Shabbat—documenting
daily life in the Warsaw ghetto. The ‘Ringleblum’ box, donated to
Yad Vashem in honor of its Jubilee Year by the Association of the
Jewish Historical Institute, Warsaw (the ŽİH), will be displayed
in Yad Vashem’s new Holocaust History Museum.
The
ceremony took place in the presence of Professor Feliks Tych
(Director of the ŽİH) and Marian Turski, Chairman of the ŽİH
Council; Avner Shalev;
and Professor Israel Gutman, Academic Advisor to Yad Vashem.
Excerpt from a letter from President of the Republic of Poland
Aleksander Kwasniewski
“The eminent Israeli historian—and great friend of
Poland—Professor Israel Gutman once said: ‘If there was something
which definitely distinguished Jews from other nations it was the
power of memory.’ Yad Vashem is a guard of the memory of every one
of the six million Shoah victims, securing testimonies of
their life and death… I wish to congratulate you on the occasion
of your 50th anniversary and pay my utmost respect for
the work Yad Vashem has done so far. I also express my thanks for
your cooperation with Polish research centers and museums, among
them the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw and the National
Archives…. I wish Yad Vashem many years of fruitful activity,
success and persistence in fulfilling its mission of great
importance for Israel, the Jewish people and the whole
contemporary world.”
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon |
In
the presence of President of Israel, Moshe Katsav, Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon, Speaker of the Knesset Reuven Rivlin MK and other
dignitaries, a crowd of thousands, most of them Holocaust
survivors, attended the spectacular Jubilee Year Opening Event in
the Warsaw Ghetto Square on the evening of 16 September. Speaking
at the event were the President and Prime Minister of Isarel,
Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council, Professor Szewach Weiss,
Chairman of the American Society for Yad Vashem, Eli Zborowski,
and Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate, Avner Shalev. The
evening included a multimedia presentation of Yad Vashem’s work
over the years, as well as performances by renowned singers Dudu
Fisher, Shlomit Aharon and Yevgeny Shapovalov, violinists Shlomo
Mintz and Ida Haendel, the Ankor and Philharmonia Choirs and the
Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra.
“I
wish to offer heartfelt congratulations to Yad Vashem, and to
thank all those who contributed to this vital and important
endeavor. The work of commemoration, remembrance, documentation
and education is a shining example for generations… I am glad
that Yad Vashem has not forgotten the place of the Righteous Among
the Nations, those points of light that shone through the
darkness, people whose virtuous souls burned with the Divine spark
during a time of despair. As we celebrate Yad Vashem’s Jubilee,
the Holocaust is not a forgotten chapter of our history. It is
engraved upon the consciousness of the world, and stands as an
indictment and an admonition, commanding us: ‘Never Again!’”
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
“Shortly before his death, Mordechai Anielewicz wrote: ‘My life’s
dream has come true. I have lived to see Jewish resistance in the
ghetto in all its greatness and glory.’
...The
spirit of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the torch of resistance of
the ghetto fighters and Jewish partisans was carried over to
Eretz Yisrael… Mordechai, how we wish you could have shared
our pride in the establishment of Yad Vashem, an institution
dedicated to the cause of remembrance that stands majestically on
Har Hazikaron in the heart of Jerusalem, the capital of the
independent State of Israel.”
Chairman of the American Society for Yad Vashem, Eli Zborowski
“With the passage of time, as the generation of Holocaust
survivors grows older, the legacy of the Holocaust is being passed
on to the next generation. At the same time, a large sector of the
public in Israel and worldwide is showing a renewed and growing
interest in the Holocaust. The shifting of generations requires us
to transmit the memory of the Holocaust using modern, innovative
tools available through the information and communication
technologies of the new millennium. This new era will mark Yad
Vashem’s distinct ability to imbue the memory of the Holocaust
with depth and meaning, so that a dialogue will grow from the
past, bequeathing a legacy to strengthen commitment to Jewish
continuity, protect the basic values of humankind and educate
future generations.”
Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate, Avner Shalev
Left to right: Dr.
Yitzhak Arad, Haim Rubin, Joseph Wilf, Ira Drukier, Maxi
Librati, Stephanie Azrieli, David Azrieli, Marcia Toledano,
Bernice Bookhamer, Cheryl Skura Lifshitz, Shimon Peres MK,
Avner Shalev, Eli Zborowski, Diana Zborowski, Lawrence Joseph,
Prof. Szewach Weiss, Sam Halpern, Gladys Halpern, Ruta Zandman,
Felix Zandman, Harry Karten, Steven Mitzner |
On
the evening of 15 September, the names of Yad Vashem’s benefactors
were unveiled on the Benefactors’ Wall in Yad Vashem’s Entrance
Plaza. Speakers included: Leader of the Opposition, Shimon Peres
MK; Campaign Chairman, Yad Vashem Develoment Masterplan, Joseph
Wilf; architect David Azrieli; Young Leadership Delegate, American
Society for Yad Vashem, Cheryl Skura Lifshitz; and Avner Shalev:
“There is an attempt to deny, a tendency to forget, and an
inclination to forgive—that is human nature… I want to thank you
for building such a worthwhile center. You are helping the Jewish
people to remember every moment, so that we will not be blind to
our dangers, and be proud of our achievements.”
Shimon Peres MK
“Tonight the Young Leadership of the American and International
Societies for Yad Vashem rededicates itself to the memories of our
Kedoshim… Let me assure you that we are wholeheartedly
committed to Yad Vashem.”
Cheryl Skura Lifshitz
During the evening of 15 September, a reception for the Friends
Delegations from 26 countries that came to participate in Yad Vashem’s Jubilee events was held in the Valley of the Communities.
Addressing the crowd were: Minister of Immigrant Absorption, Tzipi
Livni MK; Mayor of Jerusalem, Uri Lupoliansky; Professor Szewach
Weiss; Avner Shalev; Chairman of the Center of Organizations of
Holocaust Survivors in Israel, Noach Flug; Chairman, Israel
Society for Yad Vashem Yoram Berger; Vice-Chairman, American
Society for Yad Vashem Ira Drukier; Chairman, French Society for
Yad Vashem, Dr. Richard Prasquier; and President of the Euro-Asian
Jewish Congress, Alexander Machkevich.
“The
meaning of our existence here is to carry on for those who
remained there, to continue the existence of the Jewish world in
Israel. This is not an easy task—sometimes it is very difficult
indeed…”
Tzipi Livni MK
“Millions of visitors come to our beloved city, guests from
throughout the country and tourists from all corners of the
globe. Two sites in Jerusalem remain at the top of their list:
the Western Wall and Yad Vashem. These two sites perpetuate
something that existed among our people and was destroyed… To
remember something, we must study it, or it will be forgotten. We
have come here today to Yad Vashem, a place that does everything
to make certain we don’t forget.”
Uri Lupoliansky
“Fifty years ago we had no idea that twenty million visitors,
thousands of teachers, hundreds of researchers and dozens of world
leaders, would visit Yad Vashem and learn about the Holocaust. I
hope that with the dedicated work of Yad Vashem’s employees and
volunteers, and with the help of donors, the government, the
Claims Conference and the Jewish Agency, we can expand and enhance
Yad Vashem’s educational and research activities, in order to
perpetuate the memory of the Holocaust.”
Noach
Flug
top: Maj. Gen. Moshe Ya’alon
bottom:Left to right: Harry
Karten, Danielle Karten, Avner Shalev, Zadok Ben-David, Senior
Art Curator of the Museums Division, Yehudit Shendar, Bernice
Bookhamer, Marcia Toledano, Yaakov Toledano, Karen Toledano,
Michal Toledano, Talya Toledano Davidovich |
On
the morning of 17 September, The Partisans’ Panorama—a tribute to
the Jewish fighters who fought within partisan ranks during the Shoah—was inaugurated in the presence of IDF Chief-of-Staff Maj.
Gen. Moshe (Bugi) Ya’alon and sculptor Zadok Ben-David. The
Panorama was established through the generosity of the late Julia
and Isidore Karten— partisans in the Ukraine—and their families.
Chairman of the Organization of Partisans, Underground Fighters
and Ghetto Rebels in Israel Baruch Shuv, and Chairman of the
American Society for Yad Vashem, Eli Zborowski, addressed
the audience. Speaking on behalf of the family were Harry Karten,
Bernice Bookhamer, and representing the third generation, Young
Leadership Delegate, American Society for Yad Vashem Karen
Toledano.
“The
IDF soldiers, who represent the future, have drawn their strength
and power from your heritage, your images, your personalities and
the memory of your actions that encourage us, surge within our
souls and guide us along our path. You swore to arise and
establish, to build and to be rebuilt, to defend and protect—and
we are committed and proud to fulfill this mission.”
Maj. Gen.
Moshe Ya’alon
“We
dedicate this vista to those who fought in the forests, fields,
and cities of Europe, to the partisanim who resisted in
extraordinary ways. I can’t imagine a more fitting monument to
these heroes, a tranquil place overlooking the hills of Jerusalem.
Because even in their darkest hour, these people never lost sight
of the future.”
Karen Toledano
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Avner Shalev and President
Moshe Katsav present the Declaration of Remembrance |
Dr. Israel Singer
signs the Declaration of Remembrance, watched by Rachel Barkai,
Director of Yad Vashem’s Commemoration and Public Relations
Division |
On
the afternoon of 17 September, President Moshe Katsav hosted a
ceremony at his Jerusalem residence for the signing of the
Declaration of Remembrance—a written pledge ensuring the continued
existence of Holocaust remembrance in our generation and those
that follow. The declaration was signed by Israeli heads of state
and Jewish leaders from Israel and abroad. Speaking at the event
were President Katsav; Chairman of the World Jewish Congress and
President of the Claims Conference, Dr. Israel Singer; President
of the French Foundation for the Memory of the Shoah,
Simone Veil; Academic Advisor to Yad Vashem, Professor Israel
Gutman; and former Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Israel
Meir Lau.
“Yad
Vashem is, essentially, the focus of identification for the Jewish
people and a symbol of our national unity… The workers at Yad
Vashem have fulfilled their task with a sacred reverence, and
Holocaust survivors see this as a small measure of consolation and
comfort for their pain. I wish to express my admiration and
appreciation for Yad Vashem and its dedicated staff since its
founding, and to encourage them in this national and historic
undertaking. Now Yad Vashem faces new challenges… and it must act
to ensure that the Holocaust remains etched within our national
identity.”
President Moshe Katsav
“The Shoah is different from any other event, from those
that others try to compare it to. That is why Yad Vashem, and the
pledge we are signing today, is so special.”
Dr. Israel Singer
“Every time my feet touch the land of Israel and lead me to Yad
Vashem, the faces of my loved ones and my friends—which
haunt me constantly—burst
out in front of my eyes. I am deeply moved today, especially as we
have come, on the occasion of Yad Vashem's 50th anniversary, from
the four corners of the earth in order to express our commitment
to the memory of the six million murdered Jews.”
Simone Veil
“In
recent years Yad Vashem has been undergoing a dynamic process of
expansion, organization and reconstruction in many spheres, and on
a large scale. This work has been undertaken with talent and
dedication, through the encouragement and assistance of devoted
friends the world over. Yad Vashem has become a role model
according to which similar institutions for perpetuating the
Holocaust have been established.”
Professor Israel Gutman
“Signing the Declaration of Remembrance was for me the highlight
of the Jubilee events, and an extraordinary experience for me as a
representative of the German delegation… I signed the scroll with
a trembling hand, as I realized my obligation to represent the
message of Yad Vashem and to spread it throughout Germany.”
Excerpt from a letter from First Assistant Chairperson of the
German Society of Friends of Yad Vashem, Prince Albrecht zu
Castell-Castell
Joseph Wilf (left) shakes
hands with Minister Benjamin Netanyahu |
On the
evening of 17 September
a dinner was
held for Yad Vashem’s benefactors and supporters.
The
dinner marked the establishment of the “Eternal Fund for
Preserving and Perpetuating the Memory of the Holocaust”. The
keynote address was given by Minister of Finance, Benjamin
Netanyahu MK. Among the speakers were: Executive Vice-President of
the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Gideon
Taylor; President and Chairman of the Board, Europe-Israel Group
of Companies, Motti Zisser; President of the French
Foundation for the Memory of the Shoah, Simone Veil;
Second Generation Representative from the American Society
for Yad Vashem, Leonard Wilf; and Avner Shalev.
“Yad
Vashem has made an enormous contribution, not only in securing the
memories of the millions who perished in the Holocaust, but also
in securing our future by drawing the necessary conclusions to
ensure our victory over the forces of evil. I wish to congratulate
you for championing such an important cause.”
Benjamin Netanyahu MK
“From the very beginning, the Claims Conference decided that it
would have a very special relationship with Yad Vashem. This
historic partnership has lasted for 50 years… I say to Yad Vashem:
‘Your work is holy and it is we who are privileged to be part of
it’.”
Gideon Taylor
“At
Yad Vashem, the living can affirm that our people will never
suffer a similar fate again. Our parents gave us a heritage unlike
any other in the world—a heritage that came from everything this
institution symbolizes, serving as the spiritual, ideological and
moral heart of the Jewish people: to be a free people in our
land. As the second generation of Holocaust survivors we are
committed to ensuring that Yad Vashem shall remain the place from
which Jewish communities throughout the world can draw their
Jewish resilience and moral fortitude.”
Motti Zisser
“I
have always believed that carrying forward the message of
Remembrance in order to help build a more tolerant, and thus more
peaceful, future is Yad Vashem’s sacred message… I look forward to
the daunting task of helping secure a sound financial and
educational future for our noble mission’s ideals of remembrance
and the end of intolerance, hatred and violence.”
Leonard Wilf
Hertha Najmann |
On
the morning of 18 September, Hertha Najmann endowed the John Najmann
Chair Of Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem’s International Institute
of Holocaust Research in the memory of her husband, John Najmann. Incumbant
Chair and Head of the International Institute for Holocaust
Research, Professor David Bankier, gave the keynote lecture. Other
speakers included Chairman of the National Yad Vashem Charitable
Trust, UK, Ben Helfgott;; and Avner Shalev.
“The
Holocaust must not be politicized or marginalized into the
sidelines of history… John wanted the world never to forget. It is
therefore with great pleasure that my children and I fulfill my
husband’s dearest wish and endow this Chair of Holocaust Studies.”
Hertha Najmann
Copyright ©2004 Yad Vashem The Holocaust
Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority |
