The impact of the Pogrom was felt far beyond the borders of today’s Moldova. The violence caused a large-scale emigration from Bessarabia to North America, Latin America, and other areas of Europe. At the same time, this tragedy convinced many of the early Zionists of the importance of their cause.
In this regard, The President of the Jewish Community of Moldova, Alexander Bilinkisstressed in his speech at the April 20 commemorative concert held at the Palace of the Republic that it is too early for humanity to forget its lessons.
“Today, when the world lives in conditions of total crisis and global challenges, it is more important than ever to respond in time and correctly. There is no statute of limitations for the tragedy in Chisinau in 1903,” he added at the commemoration rally on April 21 at the Pogrom Victims Memorial in Alunelul park in the capital.
The Jewish community from the Republic of Moldova
The Jewish community from the Republic of Moldova
Likewise, A. Bilinkis thanked the national authorities, the Chisinau City Hall, the Embassy of the State of Israel and international partners for their involvement in organizing the events of these days.
Ambassador Ronald S. Lauderthe president of the World Jewish Congress, in solidarity with the Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova, stated that “the Chisinau pogrom reminds us of the dangers of hate speech and underlines the importance of combating anti-Semitism and promoting tolerance and understanding.”
The Jewish community from the Republic of Moldova
The Jewish community from the Republic of Moldova
He also joined the commemoration of the victims of the Pogrom The Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of Moldova, Kent Logsdon. This recognized that today, when he walks the streets of the center of Chisinau, he sees a European city. “Those who are missing today on the vibrant streets of Chisinau are the descendants of the people who were killed out of hatred and we will never be able to return them, but we can honor their memory and try to do them justice”, emphasized His Excellency.
Historian Ovidiu Creangă, from the Claims Conference, USA, his opinion material, encouraged the Government of the Republic of Moldova to delegate a special representative to work together with the Jewish Community of Moldova and the World Jewish Organization for Property Restitution. “However, commemoration without action is not enough,” he pointed out.
The Jewish community from the Republic of Moldova
The Jewish community from the Republic of Moldova
Commemorative events from April 20-21
To mark this important but tragic anniversary, several distinct events were organized. The series of activities began on April 20 with an exhibition entitled “In Days of Mourning: 120 Days of the Chisinau Pogrom” at the City History Museum and continued with a large-scale memorial concert at the Palace of the Republic.
On April 21, a commemoration ceremony was held at the Chisinau Pogrom Victims Memorial in Alunelul Park of the capital. They participated in the event The President of the Parliament Igor Grosu, Mayor of Chisinau Ion Ceban, Ambassador of the State of Israel Lion Joelreligious leaders, members of the Jewish Community, representatives of diplomatic missions and representatives of civil society.
Present at the ceremony alongside deputies and representatives of the diplomatic corps, The President of the Parliament Igor Grosu emphasized that “we must not forget these events and do everything possible so that they never happen again. There is no ideology in this world that would be worth a human’s life.”
“Few people know that this space was once the Jewish cemetery, where victims of the Pogrom of 1903 are also buried. This is why, in the rehabilitation process of the “Alunelel” Park, to which Romania also contributed, we took into account all the recommendations of the Jewish Community and we kept all the elements of the Pogrom Monument. It is an honor for us to contribute to the preservation of history”, he declared Mayor of the Capital Ion Ceban.
The guests then joined a guided tour of the historical areas related to the Chisinau Pogrom. The tour ended with the premiere of a documentary film about the Pogrom of 1903, a preview of which is available on Facebook.
Among the people interviewed for the documentary were Mark Hetfield, president of the Jewish Society for Aid to Immigrants HIAS, professor Steven Zipperstein, a well-known researcher of the modern history of European Jews, historians from Moldova Roman Rabinovici and Leonid Moseonhnic, the mayor of the Capital, opinion leaders . This unique project was carried out at the initiative and with the support of the Chisinau City Hall.
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p class=”mb-8 px-6 md:px-0 font-bitter text-s17-l170 md:text-s18-l170 text-c121212″>The Sabbath of Jewish Community Center concluded the agenda of these commemorative days by reaffirming that the life of the community and the preservation of traditions are an important part of the present of our country and society.
