Dear all,
I followed the recent discussion on the topic of a Holocaust museum in the =
mortuary - the former Leichenhalle - carefully during the last days. I agre=
e to the many who have doubts concerning the location. I understand questio=
ns like 'why not the Temple?' or 'why not expanding the existing Jewish mus=
eum?'.
But I also missed other questions like 'how to save the Leichenhalle?' and =
'how to commemorate the destruction of the Jewish community and to bring it=
into public consciousness?'. These were probably the same questions that m=
oved Mr. Zissels. He answered them in a very pragmatic way, a way which is =
appropriate to the reality of present Czernowitz and present Ukraine. We ar=
e speaking about a place with low financial ressources, a place where buyin=
g of votes was practised in the last local elections, a places where men ge=
t drafted to the army and return in coffins. It is not a place of wishful t=
hinking, rather it is a place where civil society is struggling to create a=
more transparent, democratic and just community. Joseph Zissels, the presi=
dent of the Association of Jewish Communities and Organizations, and Mykola=
Kushnir, the director of the Jewish museum, are representatives of the civ=
il society. They are no representatives of the state or the municipality, t=
hey act in a way they believe to achieve the most and - considering the alr=
eady existing funding - they are able to convince others. Their initiative =
is a contribution to the memory of the city, to the preservation of its her=
itage, but most of all it's a gift to the survivors of the Holocaust, the c=
amps and ghettos of Transnistria, and an obeisance to all who did not surv=
ive.
I read the complain 'they should have asked us'. I understand Zissel's mail=
to Bruce and other members of the list as an answer to this and as an offe=
r for dialogue. He wants you to have your say and he asks for your support.=
This is your museum, the museum of those in the list who remember and were=
witnesses. The museum can not be realized without your stories and memorie=
s.
I'm not sure whether we can win Daniel Liebeskind or any other famous archi=
tect, but I like very much the enthusiasm expressed in the e-mail by Howard=
Sackel. I also imagine what impact the museum would have on the entire sta=
te of the cemetery. Given the public attention the museum would raise, the =
local authorities would be unable to tolerate the present neglect. Having b=
een to Czernowitz every summer since eight years, I see the development: Vo=
lunteers who clean the cemetery, a Jewish museum, a literature festival con=
nected to the multi-ethnic past, a growing awarness of history expressed in=
many initiatives and now plans for another museum. Let's support it and co=
ntribute to it. I'm sure Bruce will collect your ideas and voices and forwa=
rd it to Mr Zissels.
Christian
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 30. Dezember 2015 um 20:49 Uhr
Von: "Bruce Reisch" <bruce.reisch_at_cornell.edu>
An: CZERNOWITZ-L <CZERNOWITZ-L_at_list.cornell.edu>
Betreff: [Cz-L] Restoration efforts at the Czernowitz cemetery
Dear Friends,
An unexpected email from Joseph Zissels, co-president of the Vaad of
Ukraine, showed up in my inbox. Mr. Zissels reached out to me, among
others, to subscribe to a newsletter on the current efforts to restore the
Cemetery’s ceremonial hall. He is also asking for input, “s=
uggestions and
assistance in the implementation and restoration of the building and
creation of the museum.” Mr. Zissels recommended an article publish=
ed just
a few days ago on the Jewish Heritage-Europe website concerning the
current efforts:
http://is.gd/E85fXF
I do understand the reservations and frustrations some of you have about
this project. Your participation and/or support are entirely up to you.
Yet this is a chance to have your story told, possibly through survivor
testimonies offered by the museum, or through your assistance in the
development of museum exhibits. There is little we can do about the
selection of a museum location; we can only choose whether we (1st, 2nd,
3rd, 4th generation Czernowitzers, plus other highly interested parties)
provide our support in any form, or not at all.
Constructive suggestions would be especially welcome and I will be glad to
pass them along to Mr. Zissels.
Thanking you in advance,
Bruce Reisch
(list owner)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
--
This moderated discussion group is for information exchange on the subject =
of
Czernowitz and Sadagora Jewish History and Genealogy. The opinions express=
ed
in these posts are the opinions of the original poster only and not necess=
arily
the opinions of the List Owner, the Webmaster or any other members
or entities connected with this mailing list. The Czernowitz-L list has
an associated web site at
http://czernowitz.ehpes.com that includes a
searchable archive of all messages posted to this list. As a result,
Messages sent to the list are available to the general public within days=
of posting.
Please post in "Plain Text" (help available at:
<
http://www.jewishgen.org/InfoFiles/PlainText.html>).
To remove your address from this e-list follow the directions at:
<
http://www.it.cornell.edu/services/elist/howto/user/leave.cfm>
To receive assistance for this e-list send an e-mail message to:
<owner-Czernowitz-L_at_list.cornell.edu>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
--
Received on 2015-12-31 04:14:28