{"id":976,"date":"2014-03-21T09:34:23","date_gmt":"2014-03-21T09:34:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ukrainianjewishencounter.org\/en\/the-first-laureate-of-the-medal-in-honor-of-andrei-sheptytski-became-a-canadian-businessman-of-ukrainian-descent-originally-from-donbass\/"},"modified":"2017-08-18T19:40:25","modified_gmt":"2017-08-18T19:40:25","slug":"the-first-laureate-of-the-medal-in-honor-of-andrei-sheptytski-became-a-canadian-businessman-of-ukrainian-descent-originally-from-donbass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ukrainianjewishencounter.org\/en\/the-first-laureate-of-the-medal-in-honor-of-andrei-sheptytski-became-a-canadian-businessman-of-ukrainian-descent-originally-from-donbass\/","title":{"rendered":"The first laureate of the medal in honor of Andrei Sheptytski became a Canadian businessman of Ukrainian descent originally from Donbass"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n
By Mykola Siruk, Den Newspaper, Kyiv, Ukraine<\/em><\/div>\n
June 26, 2013<\/em><\/div>\n
Issue No. 109 (2013)<\/em><\/div>\n

http:\/\/www.day.kiev.ua\/uk\/article\/den-planeti\/svit-viznav-ideyi-mitropolita<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Babi Yar was one of those tragic pages in the history of the Ukrainian and Jewish people. \u00a0\u00a0The Soviet government silenced this tragedy and even punished those, who tried to pay tribute to those victims buried in this ravine.\u00a0 Ukrainian intellectuals suffered in an attempt to commemorate the 25th<\/sup> anniversary of this tragedy in September 1966: writers Viktor Nekrasov, who in time was sent out of the country, and also Ivan Dziuba, who was imprisoned.<\/p>\n

Only at the moment of achieving Ukraine\u2019s independence did it become widely-known in society that this tragedy occurred.\u00a0 In Sept. 1991, practically a month after the declaration of of independence was the 50 year anniversary of Babi Yar commemorated on the government level.<\/p>\n

In Kyiv in recent days an event took place that bears witness to the deepening dialogue and mutual understanding between the Ukrainian and Jewish people, which in effect are the continuation of the process of reconciliation that began in 1991.<\/p>\n

One such event was the three-day meeting of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel (Sochnut), which concluded yesterday in Kyiv.\u00a0 Participating were the leaders of the Jewish Diaspora from North America and Europe, as well as Australia.\u00a0 Traditionally the leading representative of Jewish communities and Zionist organizations from the world over and Israel \u2013 and they number 120 individuals \u2013 conduct this event in Jerusalem.\u00a0 The only exception to this rule in the more than 90-year history of it existence was conduction the Board of Governors meeting in Argentina with the goals of supporting the Jewish Diaspora in that country.\u00a0 And now the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency, which works on questions of vital importance to the Jewish community globally, for the first time, conducted its conference in Ukraine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a symbol of the importance of Jews in Ukraine and the countries of the former Soviet Union for Jews universally, and also the important of the development of relation with Ukraine,\u201d said Natan Sharansky, who is the head of the Jewish Agency (and well-known Soviet \u2018prisoner of conscience\u2019).<\/p>\n

At the same time, the head of the American Loews Corporation, with assets of $16 billion James Tisch, during his speech at the gala event at the Intercontinental Hotel, noted that the conference in Kyiv push to cooperation with Jewish and Ukrainian communities in Ukraine.\u00a0 It is worth pointing out that other than Mr. Tisch there were many foreign guests are listed on the Forbes rating of world\u2019s wealthiest individuals.\u00a0 Among them: Johanna Arbib (Italy, Patron Capital, $10 billion); Julia Koschitzky (Canada, IKO Industries, $8 billion); Sami Bollag (Switzerland, Bollag-Guggenheim [Fashion] Group, $6 billion).<\/p>\n

Alexander Levin, the president of the World Forum for Russian Jewry and the head of the Jewish community in Kyiv, presented at the gala evening the model of external design of the memorial complex that will be built at Babi Yar at the place of the mass shooting of Soviet citizens in 1941, the majority of whom were Jews.\u00a0 Within the complex will be a community center that will become a bright symbol of rebirth, on the same spot where an attempt was made to wipe Jews off the face of the earth.<\/p>\n

Mr. Levin said that he invites European heads of state, and first of all the president of Ukraine, to become members of the board of the memorial complex at Babi Yar, which will immortalize the tragedy of the Jewish people, but all of Europe and the world.<\/p>\n

In his words, the complex will be built with the funds of Ukraine\u2019s Jewish community.\u00a0 He added that in the near future the project\u2019s approval is anticipated by the respective structures in Kyiv, an construction will begin this year.\u00a0 Mr. Levin did not know the exact cost of the project, indicating that it will cost several tens of millions of dollars.\u00a0 American specialists will develop [computer] programs for interactive demonstrations in the museum complex.\u00a0 Ukrainian companies will build the museum.<\/p>\n

Another no less important event was the presentation the evening before last in Kyiv of the Andrei Sheptytsky Medal 2013.\u00a0 The first laureate of the medal in honor of the metropolitan, who was the leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church from 1901 to his very death in 1944, became the well-known Canadian businessman, the founder and chairman of the board of the \u201cUkrainian Jewish Encounter,\u201d organization, James Temerty.<\/p>\n

The Chief Rabbi of Kyiv and Ukraine Yaakov Dov Bleich, in presenting in the Reception Building in Kyiv the first laureate of the medal in honor of the Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky 2013, said, \u201cA dream became reality and the world recognized the ideas of the metropolitan\u2019s ideas as a leader who looked into the eyes of real life and against the danger saved Jews.\u00a0 Thanks to his courageous actions over 160 Jewish lives were saved during the Second World War in Ukraine.\u201d\u00a0 In the rabbi\u2019s words, the idea of creating this medal was proposed together by Jews and Ukrainians.\u00a0 In particular, he noted, exactly the Canadian businessman, the founder and head of the board of directors of the organization \u201cUkrainian Jewish Encounter\u201d James Temerty (his father was Greek, his mother Ukrainian), was the first to propose to do something so the world would recognize the Sheptytsky\u2019s actions in saving Jews.\u00a0 As a result, the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine founded the medal to honor the contributions in the cause of Ukrainian-Jewish mutual understanding and collaboration.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn addition,\u201d added Mr. Bleich, \u201cthe Canadian parliament unanimously adopted a resolution in which it recognized Sheptytsky\u2019s actions.\u201d\u00a0 It would be good if Ukraine\u2019s parliament adopted a similar resolution, the rabbi said.\u00a0 He also said that in the future, one or two laureates will be recognized with the medal every year.<\/p>\n

Mr. Temerty was born in the Donbas, and moved to Canada 60 years ago.\u00a0 He received this medal for his devotion to the idea, and also for actions, that are directed toward the achievement of mutual understanding and deeper ties between Ukraine\u2019s and Jews.\u00a0 The organization [UJE] was established in 2008 \u2013 by the way a contribution of those present at this ceremony were Victor Yuschenko and his wife Kateryna, who is a member of the advisory board -- works in Ukraine, Israel and amoung the Ukrainian and Jewish Diasporas with the goal of supporting close and wider relations between nations.\u00a0 Mr. Temerty supports youth, civic, cultural and other social initiatives, conferences and university programs, that are dedicated to these goals, in Ukraine, Israel and in the Diasporas.\u00a0 He recently founded at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv three departments, the work of which is focused on themes tied to Ukrainian-Jewish mutual understanding.<\/p>\n

Also present at this ceremony was ex-president of Ukraine, Leonid Kravchuck, who sees the establishment of the medal as a manifestation of humanism \u2013 to forgive one\u2019s own pains and to apologize.\u00a0 In his words, both peoples understood that there is no other road than to be together and to be able to remember the past.\u00a0 Kravchuk also noted that today\u2019s meeting showed how it\u2019s necessary to go to reconciliation and if the past is subordinate to the future, then all problems can be solved.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we look at the positive, then we\u2019ll build this future,\u201d the rabbi of Kyiv and Ukraine noted in his speech.<\/p>\n

The Supreme Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Sviatoslav considers the investiture of the award a step into the future in as much, in his words, that the person of Sheptytsky predicts unity and the future.\u00a0 \u201cHe who has not reconciled with the past lives in a heavy present and its difficult for him to build a future,\u201d added Sviatoslav.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Natan Sharansky, who admitted that in Soviet times he never heard about Sheptytsky, who saved Jews and called others to save them, also said:\u00a0 \u201cHe, who saved one soul, saves the entire world.\u00a0 Sheptytsky saved the idea of friendship and mutual understanding between the Ukrainian and Jewish people.\u201d<\/p>\n

And if the main belief of a people lies in the idea of national freedom and pride, then this belief does not hinder, but is a guarantee of friendship, added the head of the Jewish Agency for Israel (Sochnut).<\/p>\n

In his speech, Mr. Temerty noted that, by number, the largest Jewish community in the world currently lives in Ukraine, and nearly 15 percent of the Jews in the U.S. and Canada have Ukrainian roots.\u00a0 In his words, the history of Israel is not complete with the history of Ukraine, as is the opposite \u2013 the history of Ukraine is not complete without the history of Israel.<\/p>\n

Along with this, Mr. Temerty believes that the road to rapprochement between the Ukrainian and Jewish people will be long.\u00a0 And if Ukraine wants to draw closer to the European Union, then it should demonstrate by its behavior by preserving the memory of the Holocaust.\u00a0\u00a0The approximate loss among the Jewish population in Ukraine was nearly one million people.<\/p>\n

Mr. Temerty believes that Ukraine should join the organization that works in investigating the places of mass burial sites of Jews in Eastern Europe, and also introduce an educational program about the Holocaust in schools and institutes.\u00a0 Along with this, in his opinion, it\u2019s important to begin building a museum of the history of the Jewish people.\u00a0 In the words of Kyiv\u2019s rabbi, in Moscow in a similar museum, almost 50 percent, and even 60 percent, of the exhibits are tied with Ukraine, and in Poland, it\u2019s a similar situation.\u00a0 Then, considers Mr. Bleich, taking from there materials to Ukraine, it will be possible to create a complete museum of the history of the Jewish people.<\/p>\n

The vice premier in charge of humanitarian question Konstantin Hryshenko in his speech noted that an open dialogue is conducted between Ukraine and Israel regarding the dramatic pages, which needed to be remembered, so as not to repeat that what was in the past.<\/p>\n

Mykola Siruk, Den<\/em><\/div>\n
Issue No. 109 (2013)<\/em><\/div>\n
http:\/\/www.day.kiev.ua\/uk\/article\/den-planeti\/svit-viznav-ideyi-mitropolita<\/a><\/em><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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