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A Cry That No One Hears

27/07/2012 11:24:19 AM

Jul27

A Brief Extract from My Travelogue
 
After arriving in Kiev we head for its central shul in the company of Kolia (arranged by Andre, Rabbi Wilhelm of Chabad Zhitomir's PA) who will be our driver for the next few days. He's a pleasant chap and keen to do our bidding - although he understands not a word of English! This is going to be interesting....
 
We drive quickly through Kiev. This isn't Warsaw. More like Mexico, the difference between rich and poor is very apparent. Extremely tall, stark, very ugly tenement  buildings are everywhere. And then there are a few uniquely styled apartment buildings unlike anything we have seen anywhere. As we enter the CBD there is again this contrast between beautiful, old style buildings housing major international labels and ugly soviet style blocks. Unfortunately we drive through quickly and there is no time to take photos.
 
The beautiful shule has been fully renovated and is now run by Chabad and boasts three minyonim a day!  I daven mincha, say Tehillim while mummy takes photos. Maariv is in an hour and would give me a chance of meeting the locals, but its fast getting dark and we must get to our next stop...
 
Babi Yar is not something I was prepared for. It is not a distant forest but lies within the city limits... as it did then! This was no invisible act of mass murder.
 
The second remarkable thing is not what it says... but what it doesn't.
 
There is a memorial menorah as you enter... but nary a word about what happened here, the mass murder of tens of thousands of Jews cast into the deep ravine. 
 
The saddest part of all is that the place is so naturally beautiful. Just the kind of place to come for a pleasant stroll with the kids or the dog. Just the kind of place to go camping. And here lies the problem. While no sign indicates what occurred here, the place serves all these purposes. There are walking paths, benches, camping grounds and people walking dogs. The sign on the Menorah reads: "The blood of your brother's blood screams out to you from the earth". Maybe. But it's a cry that no one hears.
 
Rabbi Benzion Milecki OAM
 
Thu, 19 June 2025 23 Sivan 5785

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