UCCLA seeks community's nominations of Ukrainian survivors of the Holocaust

TORONTO - Responding to a news report in Canadian Jewish News, "Ottawa to honor Holocaust survivors," the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association is calling upon Ukrainian Canadians to nominate Ukrainian survivors of the Holocaust before July 31 for a special ceremony on Parliament Hill, to be held on September 27, presided over by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien of Canada.

Sponsored by the Canadian Society of Yad Vashem, this annual ceremony is intended to keep alive the memory of the Holocaust and honor those Canadians who are survivors of Nazi terror. Millions of Ukrainians perished during the Nazi occupation of Ukraine and many millions were imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps, enslaved and exploited as slave laborers. Ukraine may have lost as many as 14.5 million citizens during the second world war, probably suffering greater losses than any other country in Nazi-occupied Europe.

Commenting on this project, the UCCLA's director of research, Dr. Lubomyr Luciuk, said: "... this initiative, honoring all Holocaust survivors, is, in our view, an excellent one. Many Canadians of Ukrainian heritage are Holocaust survivors, including more than a few who bear the infamous tattoos of Auschwitz. We call upon the community to contact the Toronto-based Canadian Society of Yad Vashem [at (416) 785-1333] to get the necessary application forms and nominate Ukrainian survivors of the Holocaust for this important memorial service. This must be done before July 31."

Dr. Luciuk added: "also ask that persons or groups who make these nominations inform us. That way we can keep a list of the names and number of Ukrainian Holocaust survivors who were nominated. This year 55 Holocaust survivors will be honored on Parliament Hill. We see no reason why many of them should not be from within our community. And we applaud our Jewish Canadian friends for this notably inclusive proposal for remembering all of the victims of the Holocaust - of the greatest European tragedies of the last century."

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, July 23, 2000, No. 30, Vol. LXVIII

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