UCSJ STATEMENT

The Deputy Ministry of Culture of Ukraine informed us that the Ministry did not do anything since 1994 US-Agreement for the cultural heritage protection and preservation since the 1994 Agreement  was signed. 

Considering the all troubles we have faced for so many years because of refusing by the State Central and local administrations to carry on the responsibilities to protect the sacred sites as required by the   International, Ukrainian domestic Laws  we might conclude that the Government of Ukraine is responsible for neglecting the Jewish grave sites.  The Parliament of Ukraine is pushing through the new laws which generally contradict to the International Law for proper the preservation historic heritage of Ukraine...

On Sep. 12 at 11:00am we are going to have a court session in the Supreme Administration Court in Kyiv to get from the City Hall of Lviv Permit to order the documentation to reconstitute the New Jewish cemetery of Lviv where the contractor wants to build a luxury hotel following the City Hall's permission. 

The City Hall of Lviv along with the Contractor “Lvivs’ka Mriya” (Lviv’s Dream) to whom the City Hall granted permission to build a Luxury Hotel atop the Jewish graves instantly claim for the rights to build this hotel. Needless to say that this is an example of anti-Semitism and revisionism of Holocaust mixed with disrespect to the victims of Holocaust in Ukraine.

This is the continuous Holocaust to the deceased to rest in peace. Among them are Jewish Sages, prominent Rabbis and regular Jewish citizen who sufficiently contributed to build the civil society of Lviv, they paid for their graves, it is their own irrevocable last places. On the same site are resting about 500+ the Jewish victims of pogrom in 1918 for supporting the first Ukrainian Independence ZUNR. Needless to say that If not for the Holocaust the graves would be preserved and protected by the Lviv Jewish community.

The American UCSJ along with the Ukrainian and Global Jewish community and respective Ukrainian prominent intelligentsiya stand together since Perestroyka confronting the corrupted interests of the Ukrainian bureaucracy for the Old and New Jewish cemeteries of Lviv..

The District Galitsky Court of Lviv and the Appeal Administration Court of Lviv disregarded the Jewish ethnic Rights and rejected the Jewish claims to protect the site as it required by the Rule of Laws.

Many Jewish Leaders from US and UK, Israel and Ukrainian patriots as well addressed special letters to the Judge of the Supreme Administration Court of Ukraine to respect the instant motivation of that case and let the Jewish community to reconstitute the historical boundaries as per Ukrainian and International Law.

We call the Global community to pray for the positive decision of the Supreme Administration Court and not to allow the disaster.

Meylakh Sheykhet on behalf of the Jewish religious community “Turei Zahav”, Director of the American UCSJ affiliation to Ukraine, Director of the Faina Petryakova scientific center for the studies Judaic in the Museums of Ukraine.