Ahead of “Rescue and Liberation Day,” the Jewish philanthropist and initiator of the day, Mr. Gabriel German Zakharyaev, inaugurated the renewed Pillar of Heroism, commemorating the fighters against the Nazis. The memorial was refurbished with his donation.
The moving ceremony, which began in the synagogue and concluded at the foot of the 21-meter-high monument, was attended by: Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council; Dani Dayan, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate; the Russian Ambassador to Israel; MK Avigdor Lieberman; the President of the Russian Jewish Congress; Holocaust survivors and veterans, and senior members of the Mountain Jewish community.
“This Pillar of Heroism is also a warning sign for the Jewish people. Unfortunately, even after the terrible Holocaust, the dangers to our people have not disappeared, and the boundaries between good and evil are becoming blurred. Here at Yad Vashem, at the foot of the monument that commemorates the heroism of the martyrs, facing the hills of eternal Jerusalem – the holy city and the Temple – we are obligated to say: The heroism of the Jewish people against its enemies, in unity and determination, will endure forever. The phrase ‘Never Again’ is more tangible here than anywhere else,” said Gabriel German Zakharyaev, Vice President of the Russian Jewish Congress and initiator of “Rescue and Liberation Day,” with great emotion during the ceremony.
The event, which began in the synagogue and concluded at the towering monument, was attended by: Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, Chief Rabbi and Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council; Dani Dayan, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate; Russian Ambassador Anatoly Viktorov; MK Avigdor Lieberman, Chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu; Mr. Alexander Gantsis, President of the Russian Jewish Congress; Maj. Gen. (res.) Uzi Dayan; Mr. David Mordekhayev, Director of the STMEGI International Charity Foundation and Chief of Staff of “Rescue and Liberation Day”; Mr. Robert Abramov, Director of STMEGI Israel; Holocaust survivors, Jewish veterans, and prominent leaders of the Mountain Jewish community.
Zakharyaev stated: “One of the foundational goals of ‘Rescue and Liberation Day’ – marking the surrender of the Third Reich on the Hebrew calendar – is to highlight the triumph of good over evil, over Nazism, and to pass on the proper emotional and spiritual understanding from generation to generation: gratitude to God and His emissaries, recognition of kindness, discernment between good and evil, and, of course, commemoration of all the martyrs who perished fighting the Nazis.”
Rabbi Lau said: “This monument we are inaugurating today anew commemorates the heroism of the fathers and mothers who saved their children during that dark period. Of prisoners in the death camps who preserved their human dignity and risked their lives to help their fellow Jews. My father, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Lau, risked his life. Even though he could have tried to flee when we parted ways – my mother, brother, and I escaped to hiding – he refused to abandon his congregation and heroically declared: ‘A rabbi is a father to his community, and a father does not abandon his children.’ Likewise, my mother took me during dramatic moments and moved me to the men’s car with supreme courage. My parents’ heroism is commemorated here, along with all the brave martyrs,” he said with pain.
Rabbi Lau praised Zakharyaev for his initiative in establishing “Rescue and Liberation Day” and for embedding its commemoration on the Hebrew date in Jewish history, through prayer and gratitude across the world. “This initiative carries a deep and fundamental insight: We must remember the emissaries of God in defeating the Nazi beast – first and foremost Russia, which sacrificed more than any other. In the Red Army alone, about a quarter million Jewish soldiers fell in the fight – they did more for us than any other country,” said Rabbi Lau.
MK Avigdor Lieberman said: “We often say that we must pass on the complex history of the Jewish people from generation to generation – the Exodus from Egypt, the heroism, and the tragedy of the Holocaust. Sadly, from this year forward we will also be recounting the events of October 7th. These events are always relevant. What’s important is the determination of the Jewish people – the ability to recover.”
“My father was a soldier in the Red Army,” Lieberman shared, “and the story of his enlistment demonstrates the determination of the Jewish people. That’s perhaps my small chapter, one story among many. This determination – to continue, to fight, and to remain Jewish – that’s what defines the genetics of this nation. Everyone can share a personal story of heroism, of perseverance, of the will to remain part of the Jewish people and proudly carry the heritage of our ancestors.”
Lieberman added that he thanks German Zakharyaev “for your commitment and determination to contribute to the heritage of the Jewish people. To commemorate our legacy – the legacy of Jews everywhere – is something that inspires us. Truly, we all greatly appreciate it.”
Russian Ambassador Anatoly Viktorov said: “Of the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust, half were Russian citizens. Russia’s contribution to the battle against the Nazis was not dependent on this. We fought and sacrificed for all humanity, and we are determined and confident that the world will remember forever Russia’s and the Red Army’s contribution to the victory over Nazism.”
Viktorov praised Rabbi Lau for his remarks at the Knesset and around the world, the Yad Vashem leadership for their wisdom and moral clarity in Holocaust remembrance, and Zakharyaev for his role in embedding the commemoration of the Nazi defeat.
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel