UJA-Fed cancels advertising campaign that cites anti-Semitism in Kharkiv (06/04/95)

UJA-Fed cancels advertising campaign that cites anti-Semitism in Kharkiv

by Roman Woronowycz

JERSEY CITY, N.J. - A charitable organization has halted a fund-raising ad campaign that suggests recent anti-Semitic activity in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and has notified the government of Ukraine of its actions.

The ad was sponsored by the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York, an organization dedicated to aiding Jewish emigration to Israel, and further raised the ire of Ukrainian Americans still riled by a CBS "60 Minutes" report that alluded to Ukrainians as "genetically anti-Semitic."

The ad quotes a 13-year-old boy who speaks of praying inside a synagogue in "Kharkov" (sic) while crowds chanted anti-Semitic slogans outside when "suddenly, the windows shattered - and the thugs were attacking us."

"We felt that the advertising we were sponsoring had been accurate several years ago, but that conditions were changing," said UJA-Fed Executive Vice-President Stephen Solender. "It was not corresponding to the current realities in Ukraine."

Mr. Solender said the decision to stop the ad campaign, which included radio and print advertising and had several more months to run was made on May 26, and a letter sent to Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States Yuriy Shcherbak. A letter from the ambassador, who asked that the UJA-Fed "retract the advertisement and apologize for mentioning Ukraine in a negative context..," had prompted the review of the ad campaign.

"I thought it was important to convey our sentiments to the ambassador," added Mr. Solender. "We wanted to express our appreciation and recognize the improved conditions in Kyyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine by withdrawing the ad."

However, the UJA-Fed will offer neither a retraction nor an apology to Ukraine or Ukrainians. Mr. Solender said he did not think an apology was as important as informing the Ukrainian government of the organization's decision to recognize the new realities of Jewish life in Ukraine.

The Embassy's press attache, Dmitro Markov, said the cancellation of the ad campaign was sufficient, that it was a compromise. "We decided not to press it. We are heading toward a milestone conference [slated for Washington] between Ukrainians and Jews, in September we believe, and we do not want to aggravate the situation," said Mr. Markov. "We want to maintain good relationships."

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