Boris Lozhkin, Vice President at World Jewish Congress.
Worked at WAN-IFRA, Kyiv.
Mar 4, 2024
Imperfect translation:
“This is not our war, it’s far away,” the Americans said in 1914. In 1917, they had to make a choice and side with the Entente in World War I.
“It’s far away,” they said in 1938, when Hitler occupied Sudeten.
“America has paid a price for this — hundreds of thousands of deaths, billions of dollars spent,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer recalled after his visit to Ukraine on the second anniversary of Russian invasion.
Schumer’s ancestors were Jews from Chortkov in the Ternopil region. In 1941, he said that Nazis came to his grandmother’s house and ordered to gather the whole family.
“35 people gathered, from 80 years to three months. The Nazis said, “You will come with us.” Grandma answered: “We are not moving from our place.” The Nazis shot everybody. This is what happens when you try to appease dictators.
Chuck Schumer addressed his emotional speech to House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is in his hands today the fate of voting for a military aid package to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
War in Ukraine is not so far from the United States. Probably even closer than the border with Mexico.
…………..
Another post from Boris. Imperfect translation:
In February 2022, Pavel and Oksana came to territorial defense forces Goloseyevsky district of Kyiv. They didn’t take it: he was 50, she was 48. They said it was a lot.
But they didn’t back down, first they started to help in the kitchen, and after a while they achieved their part – both were enrolled in the same unit.
In August 2022, Paul died near Bakhmut.
I’ve known him since the late 1990s. Met my friend Григорий Шверк in Kharkov at the housewarming party – Pasha was his younger brother. Joyful life lover, soul of the company, sea of plans for the future.
So was Pavel Schwerk, a knight of the Order of Courage III (posthumously) at the front.
Oksana is still in a war zone in the east of the country. It can be demobilized – the widow of the deceased, the law allows it – but refuses. I decided to continue fighting together with my husband’s brothers.
Two years of war. Two years of forever frozen smiles of friends, family and loved ones.
Eternal memory to the heroes!
Glory to Ukraine!
In February 2022, Pavlo and Oksana came to enroll in the territorial defense forces of the Holosiivskyi city district of Kyiv. They were not accepted, as he was 50 and she was 48 years old. They said it was too much.
However, they did not give up, first they started helping in the kitchen, and after a while they achieved their goal – both of them were enrolled in the same unit.
In August 2022, Pavlo was killed near Bakhmut.
I knew him since the late 1990s. I got acquainted with him in Kharkiv at the housewarming party of my friend Hryhorii Shverk – Pavlo was his younger brother. A joyful life-lover, the soul of the company, he had a lot of plans for the future.
The rifleman Pavlo Shverk stayed the same person at the front, a holder of the Order for Courage, third class, (posthumously).
Oksana is still in the combat zone in the east of the country. She can demobilize, as her husband was killed and she is a widow; the law allows it, but she refuses. She decided to continue fighting together with her husband’s brothers in arms.
Two years of war. Two years of frozen forever smiles of friends, relatives and close ones.
May the memory of the heroes live forever!
Glory to Ukraine!
