Ukrainian Jewish reaction to academic/author Timothy Snyder’s recent presentation in Geneva. Transcript: Добрий день! This is Renata Hanynets, at the Faina Petryakova Scientific Centre for Judaica and Jewish Arts, a branch of the Jewish Heritage Museum in Lviv, Ukraine. Recently, our executive assistant at the Jewish Heritage Museum, Volodymyr Valkov, travelled to Geneva to hear a […]
Klezmer music … it’s instantly recognizable, yet almost impossible to define. It’s a unique sound with a heritage deeply rooted in the shtetls, the Jewish villages of Eastern Europe. The term klezmer is derived from the Hebrew roots “kli-zemer” or “vessel of song.” It reflects the ancient Jewish belief that a musician is not really
Yaroslav Dashkevych was a prominent Ukrainian historian, and one of the founding members of the Scientific Center of Judaica and Jewish art. In a time of rapid devaluation of national values (which is how we can characterize the latest decade of our history), Dashkevych was a significant role model for thousands of people. He was
In the Jewish faith, Yom Kippur is known as the Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur, or Soodny Den’in Ukrainian, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for Jews, as the focus is on atonement and repentance. Yom Kippur completes the annual period known in Judaism as the High Holy Days … or in Hebrew, Yamim Nora’im, meaning “Days
The name for the Jewish New Year is Rosh Hashana, which in Hebrew means the “head of the year.” It is one of the most important religious holidays for Jews … a day of awe and fear, but also a day of celebration. In 2013 (the Jewish Year of 5774), Jews in Ukraine, Israel and
Sambir is an administrative centre for the Lviv region, or Raion, located 73 kilometers from the city of Lviv. Founded in 1199, Sambir has a rich Jewish history, little of which remains. The first mention of Jews living in Sambir dates back to 1447.Over the years, conflicts between Christian and Jewish merchants arose. This led to royal decrees in the mid-fifteen hundreds restricting Jews from trading or living
The Legion of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen (Січові Стрілці) in Ukrainian, was the first Ukrainian military unit of the 20th century. The Sich fought on the side of Austria-Hungary, with dreams of an independent Ukraine in the near future. Among the Sich Riflemen were many Ukrainians of Jewish descent. Ludwig Rosenberg, also known as Volodymyr
Ukraine’s Jewish community is fighting to restore a historical treasure in the heart of Lviv. This treasure is the “Golden Rose” — also known as Turei Zahav — and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Golden Rose is the oldest synagogue in Ukraine. It is also renowned as one of the oldest and
