Dear friends and colleagues!

Under the "Joint" initiative (within the framework of the program of creation a community centers network in CIS) it is supposed to construct a Jewish community centre in Kiev with a theatre, numerous circles for children and adults, youth club, sports halls and cafe in the building. For giving the greater importance to the new center "Joint" has offered to construct it in Babiy Yar- in that territory, where only for first two days of executions- on the September 29-30, 1941- fascists have killed 33 771 Jews- citizens of Ukraine

We regard that it is necessary to inform wide Jewish public about various aspects of the mentioned problem.

Such idea seems as simply wild to the ordinary citizen, and furthermore to Jews in Kiev, Ukraine, former Soviet Union. However some Jewish chiefs, despite of the prospective location of the center, have supported the idea of construction such center in Babiy Yar , since they do not want to spoil their relationship with Joint, because they receive its material support.

In this connection the open opposition between different Jewish organizations has developed, the severe polemic has already gone beyond the limits of the Jewish community and can negatively affect the situation of Jews in Ukrainian society.

We ask you to familiarize yourself with offered compromise variant to the problem decision and to support it for peace in the Jewish community of Ukraine.

ADDRESS

Since mid-May the Jewish press of Ukraine has launched heated polemics regarding location for a new Jewish Community Center "Heritage" (initial project name at the presentation of 05.07.2002) conceived and financed by "Joint".
With all our respect for "Joint" initiated and executed many necessary and interested, though not indisputable projects, we think it necessary to note that none of the "Joint" projects in Ukraine over 10 years has caused so many arguments and such a fierce opposition on the part of many representatives of the Jewish community.
We all, undersigned this address, participated by and large in the mentioned disputes. The aim of our address is not to add fuel in favor or against the chosen "Heritage" location. Our purpose is to stop confrontation threatens to leave, if has not left already the borders of a civilized dialogue. Polemics' acute stage has just begun; Jewish and non-Jewish press of Ukraine and Russia, Israel and USA is drawn into the battlefield. The theme is discussed by organizations of national minorities, Verkhovna Rada deputies and wide Kiev public circles. Control over an easily foreseen "chain reaction" is impossible and its negative consequences are non-predictable.
In our opinion, one of the main reasons for further polemics being unpromising is the following. We are convinced no examination is able to exclude absolutely any сoncurrence of numerous places of shootings and of human remains destruction with the place, which is removed for construction of the Heritage Community Center. We are convinced the conflict can be suspended through a community compromise ("Joint" representation is also part of the community).
We suggest the following compromise.
"Heritage" remains, on the whole, as the same project, but splits in two main parts: memorial and community ones.
The memorial project part is created in Babiy Yar and includes, beside a monument to Holocaust victims, a museum of Babiy Yar and Holocaust in Ukraine as well as research programs connected with Holocaust in Ukraine. Europe already has a historic experience of solving similar problems. Auschwitz is a symbol of exterminating Jews of Western and Central Europe; Babiy Yar is a symbol of exterminating Jews of USSR. Everybody is aware of what is there in Auschwitz now; something alike should be created in Babiy Yar.
This project part should be coordinated, naturally, with all groups of Ukrainian population who are also successors to the memory of tragedy victims (Soviet war prisoners, Ukrainian nationalists, Gypsies (Roma) and so on). This coordination of positions can go under the aegis of the public council project including representatives of all these groups.
The community project part is constructed in another place of Kiev and includes an entire complex of community programs.
It is clear that this splitting of the project generates lots of technical problems but these are, already, problems of an absolutely different character. To solve them it would be reasonable to unite forces of the community almost split because of this project and of "Joint" able to cope serious problems. In particular, an international campaign to collect funds for the memorial project part could be launched and we are sure that tens and hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world will contribute to a memorial complex in Babiy Yar.
Besides, it follows from the said above these problems should undergo a thorough expert examination and we are ready to participate in any forums and "round tables".

HEADS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF ORGANIZATIONS:

Jewish Mass Media Association of Ukraine Mikhail Gurvits
CIS Jewish School Association Grigory Shoikhet
CIS "Beytar" Timur Mishiev
"Beiteinu olamit" (Representation in Ukraine),Vaad of Ukraine Arkady Khidekeli
Jewish charitable fund of Ukraine "Mercy - Magen Avot" Yury Slutsky
"Bney-Akiva" Marina Lysak
Worldwide work movement "Avoda olamit"(Representation in Ukraine) Alexey Lapidus
Board of program directors of Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Mila Braginskaya
Jewish Council of Ukraine Boris Esterkin
Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Yevgeny Chervonenko
Jewish Confederation of Ukraine, World Congress of Russian-speaking Jewry Joseph Zisels
Jewish gymnasium #229 Khariton Gilgur
"Jews of Euro-Asia" magazine Vitaly Nakhmanovich
Institute of Judaic studies Leonid Finberg
"Bney-Brit" Kiev organization Alexandr Naiman
Kiev Jewish Historical society Ster Yelisavetsky
Repatriation committee Ida Onufriychuk
Conservative movement in Judaism(Representation in Ukraine) Diana Shuster
International Solomon University Roman Shapshovich
Zionist Federation of Ukraine Vladislav Kaminsky
European Union of Jewish students (Representation in Ukraine) Faina Pritsker
Ukrainian center for Holocaust studies Anatoly Podolsky
Fund of historical video documents" SHOA survivors",Program "Holocaust lessons in Ukrainian schools" Anna Yudkovskaya
Center for Jewish education of Ukraine Yana Yanover