Jersey City's Ukrainians gather for ceremony at City Hall (09/24/06)

THE 15th ANNIVERSARY OF UKRAINE'S INDEPENDENCE

Jersey City's Ukrainians gather for ceremony at City Hall

by Zenko Halkowycz

JERSEY CITY, N.J. - August 24 was somehow different this year in Jersey City, N.J., as Ukrainian Americans here celebrated Ukrainian Independence Day. The anniversary of Ukraine's restored independence has become routine in the community's calendar of events, and yet it was different in 2006: it was the 15th anniversary of Ukraine's independence.

This year the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America asked the Ukrainian National Home to host the events. Stacy Syby, the home's president, started to form a committee and commenced planning for the event back in May. The biggest challenge was the fact that the day would fall in the middle of the week, with the City Hall ceremony slated for the middle of a work day. In addition, this was in the middle of "Ukrainian Week" in Wildwood, on the Jersey shore, where most of the community's young people would be spending their time.

Ms. Syby met with the local pastor, Father Vasyl Putera, who made announcements in church and placed information in the church bulletin, asking one and all available to come to City Hall for the proclamation presentation ceremony.

It was largely the seniors of the community who came through and gave the Ukrainian American community of Jersey City a nice representation. There were the usual brief speeches by city officials, the presentation of the proclamation and, of course, the ceremonial raising of the blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag as all present sang the Ukrainian national anthem.

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