On the 9th of May, we celebrated the Victory Day of the armies of the Union of States over Nazi Germany. For us survivors of the Holocaust, this is the most important day of the year. Thanks to this day, we are here.
We have gathered this morning at the Candle of Memory memorial in Saqr Park to honor the memory of great heroism in the presence of veterans, war heroes and survivors of seige of Leningrad. Abram, one of the veterans, touched our hearts when he told the story of his life. “The day they surrendered was the happiest day of my life,” he shared excitedly.
After that, we continued our celebration with the most impressive event in the Guest House of Saint Sergius. The stars of the event were undoubtedly the members of the Jerusalem Nehama Choir, made up of Holocaust and ghetto survivors. Galina, the pianist of the choir, shared songs of her own composition based on war stories in her hometown of Minsk. She said: “These songs are a reminder of the incredible human suffering in war and the importance of remembering the past in building a better future.”
One of the participants of the event noted: “I wish we never had to be reminded of this day. This is the only way we can prevent such events from happening again.”
We sincerely thank the team of the Guest House of Saint Sergius for the warm and kind hospitality. This special day gives us the opportunity to remember those who are no longer there. We are full of hope that we will always strive for world peace and calmer days.