New Jersey attorney honored for role in slave and forced labor settlements (01/21/01)

New Jersey attorney honored for role in slave and forced labor settlements

by Stepan Rurik Vitvitsky

NEW YORK - Amidst dozens of recent cases - primarily by the Jewish community throughout the world - against countries, corporations and banks that benefitted from Nazi policies and practices during and after the second world war, there has been little mention of other groups who suffered in slave labor camps or as forced laborers, much less of any kind of reparations to them.

However, due in no small part to the work of attorney Myroslaw Smorodsky, this is no longer the case. Mr. Smorodsky worked in conjunction with a number of other legal representatives, who together presented cases on behalf of Nazi victims from several Eastern European nations, among others, Ukraine, Poland and Belarus, that resulted in settlements with Germany and Austria. In their success, Mr. Smorodsky and his colleagues were able to garner acknowledgement, and, thus, incontestible evidence, that a variety of different peoples suffered under Nazi opression.

It was for his work on this case that he was recognized on January 10 by the International Lawyers' Fund of Ukraine, which presented Mr. Smorodsky with its Honorary Gold Medal Award.

During the award ceremony, held at the Consulate General of Ukraine in Manhattan Acting Consul General Serhiy Pohoreltzev read congratulatory letters of thanks not only from the president of the International Lawyers' Fund of Ukraine, Danylo Kourdelchouk, but from Leonid Kuchma, president of Ukraine, as well.

In his letter, Mr. Kourdelchouk stated: "This eminent award is an acknowledgment of your great contributions, namely, of your self-sacrificing work and your indisputable professionalism in this case defending the interests of the Ukrainian community internationally."

After the presentation of the medal, Mr. Smorodsky said, "I'd like to thank President Kuchma for his award, as well as the International Lawyers' Fund of Ukraine for their award," adding that, "Maybe it appears that we did not achieve a great deal by American standards; but what many Ukrainians will now receive, I hope, will be of help to those who are in great need."

The total amount to be distributed among surviving Ukrainian victims of Nazi forced/slave labor is approximately $1 billion (U.S.). The exact amount will ultimately depend, however, upon the given exchange rates of the German and Austrian currencies at the time of payment.

While thanking those who have recognized his efforts in this matter, Mr. Smorodsky insisted that "the results of this endeavor were not brought about by one person's activities, but rather by those of a group of individuals, including Oleksander Maidannyk, Ihor Lushnikov, Ihor Sharov, Danylo Kourdelchouk and many others, who worked together."

The ceremony was capped off with a cocktail reception.

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