Day 285+, Jews and Ukraine, One person's opinion.
December 6, 2022, Letter 19
Day 285+, Jews and Ukraine, One person's opinion.
Dear Friends,
Last week, I spent some time with my 83-year-old mother, and we discussed my helping Ukraine. First, let me be clear; she is heartbroken about what is happening in her home country and has only ever wanted peace and justice for Ukraine.
However, that conversation with my Mom ended up going a bit sideways. She asked my opinion about the level of antisemitism in Ukraine. So I thought: knowing the complicated past of Jews in Ukraine, how do I, as a Jew, feel about it now, in these times of war? This is the question I have pondered since that talk. I am a rational person. I do my homework, and I also like to think I exercise good judgment. I check my emotions with facts and unbiased research before acting on them. I apply the same principles to my actions in support of Ukraine. That includes full consideration of Ukrainian –Jewish history.
More than twenty years ago—a Holocaust survivor with a prisoner number tattooed on his arm taught me a lesson I will never forget. I asked him how he could drive a Mercedes, even after everything the Nazis put him through. His answer was simple: “The people who made my car did not kill my family.” Not all Germans are responsible for the Holocaust, and the generations of Germans that have been born since then certainly aren’t. Once you accept this to be true, why would you have to deny yourself the pleasure of driving such a great car? We, as Jews, understand this better than anyone, and this fundamental understanding of genocide allows, rather obligates, us to stand one with Ukraine.
Jewish history in Ukraine goes back to the origins of Kievan Rus. For sanity and brevity, I will only discuss events of modern history (WWII onward.)
This period is well-documented, and my knowledge of this time is well aligned with the research of one of the most reputable authorities on the topic of the Holocaust on the territories of Ukraine, Father Patrick Desbois of Yahad in Unum. I am proud to call this scholar a friend.
My thoughts, as they relate to Ukraine’s involvement with the Holocaust, are as follows: Almost all nations have a history of antisemitism. Ukraine indeed ranks very highly on that podium of shame. During WWII, many Ukrainians welcomed the establishment of ghettos, pogroms, and the extermination of the Jews. There were Nazi collaborators, some dubious, others downright zealous. Some even took it upon themselves to murder their Jewish neighbors. However, there were also many righteous Ukrainians. Approximately 10% of all Righteous Among the Nations, as defined by Yad Vashem, are Ukrainian and make up the 4th highest number of all nations.
My Mom is frustrated that Ukraine is seemingly hesitant to come to terms with its involvement in the Holocaust and still harbors many antisemitic beliefs. Ukraine is indeed behind many West European Nations regarding "making things right." However, it has made significant progress in the last thirty years, even more so in the last ten. Yes, there are still people in Ukraine that are antisemites, and some are more dangerous than others, given their prominent positions. However, even so, we must not forget that these individuals are breaking some of the world’s most robust laws against antisemitism when they act on their hatred. I encourage you to watch this 3-minute NPR interview with an Orthodox Jewish-Ukrainian father and his son. I think they express a common Ukrainian-Jewish outlook of their homeland that is worth internalizing.
Now, what about Ukraine’s votes in the UN against Israel? The best way I can think to explain this is residual bureaucratic inertia from the momentum set forth by the USSR. This is how my friends and most Ukrainian officials explain and apologize on behalf of the nation. During the last UN anti-Israel vote, Ukraine abstained. Ukraine has the capacity for change, and hopefully, this potential will soon become evident since one thing is for certain: the UN will always find some reason to vote against Israel. However, Ukraine can and will change its perspective on this if we help it along, not as disconnected sideline observers but as strong, reliable friends.
And finally, Ukraine had a Jewish Prime Minister, and in 2019, 73% of Ukrainians voted for Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the worlds and country’s first and only Jewish President. Not counting Israel, that is.
When I first visited Ukraine in 2006 after immigrating to the United States, I instantly felt at home there. It was the opposite of the feeling I had in 1978. Then, leaving the USSR felt like being released from a prison cell. I imagine visiting Ukraine is akin to visiting Israel in its early days. A young country with millennia of history, full of people who want to shed the tragedies of their respective recent histories and build a society based on Western Democratic values blended with their proud and unique cultural heritage.
I already wrote that we, as Jews, have a responsibility to help Ukraine, but now, we have a golden opportunity to help Ukraine differently. We have an opportunity to help Ukraine on its path to becoming a more perfect nation with a strong multicultural community of some 130 ethnic groups. Before WWII, we Jews made up almost ⅓ of the population in major Ukrainian cities. So much of our culture and tradition has roots in Ukraine. So much of Ukrainian culture and tradition has Jewish influence.
I never had a chance to impact the lives of WWII victims, but that’s why I’ve been blessed with an opportunity to influence the lives of today’s Ukrainian war victims, which is why I’m obligated to take it.
Sam Rozenberg.
Glory to Ukraine!