"Righteous" Ukrainians recognized in Crimea (08/08/04)

"Righteous" Ukrainians recognized in Crimea

Religious Information Service of Ukraine

SYMFEROPOL - Twenty-two citizens of Crimea received the "Righteous of the Nations" award on June 23 from Israel's Ambassador to Ukraine, Naomi Ben-Ami, and the Ukrainian Jewish community in recognition of their contributions to the rescue of Jews during World War II. Another five citizens of Crimea received the "Righteous of Ukraine" award.

"This is the greatest honor for an Israeli diplomat," said Mr. Ben-Ami. "This is the small way in which the state of Israel can thank the people who during horrible times saved innocent people, innocent Jews, while everyone else was even afraid to think of doing this," stressed the ambassador.

"I am looking for Ukrainians who saved Jews in Crimea, the Volyn, Rivne, Lviv and Zhytomyr regions during World War II, and I have found 400 people already," said Dmytro Omeliankiuk, a 70-year-old inhabitant of Symferopol, who holds the "Righteous of the Nations" award himself and cooperates with the International Jewish Charitable Center Chesed Shimon.

"The nobility of soul and humanism of those whom we deservedly call 'Righteous of the Nations' and 'Righteous of Ukraine' turned out to be stronger than fear before the Nazi reprisal," said Borys Deich, head of the Crimean Parliament. "This is truly a great example of humanism in a situation where the choice between cowardice and conscience was the person's life. What is the most important in our lives is to remain a human being under any circumstances," stressed Mr. Deich.

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