Peace Tree and Peacemakers Park

2013-05-26

Immortalization Tradition in Drobitsky Yar

Tree Planting Innitiative

World-peace can be achieved when the power of love replaces the love of power.
Sri Chinmoy

On May 26 2013 The Planting of Trees and the Opening of the Peacemakers Park Ceremonies took place at the Memorial Center ‘Drobitsky Yar’.

What is the cause of this initiative?

We hope that Drobitsky Yar will be remembered not only as a place of a horrible tragedy, but also will become a symbol of people’s unity, symbol of revival, a symbol of The World of Future. Only in the world without animosity, hate, cruelty and deceit the horrors of the past wars could not be repeated.

One destroyed life – is actually a destruction of the whole world. According to the old Jewish tradition, ‘The one who saves a life - saves the whole world’. We cannot save those who perished 70 years ago. But we can commemorate them, and we can keep memories forever.

A tree is not a person, but it is also alive, and we wish that in the Drobitsky Yar there will grow Peacemakers Park, and a Peace Tree will become its heart. The park will be planted by efforts of those who wish to participate in this timeless initiative. To commemorate those who perished, and for those alive who have faith in a better future.

Why did we decide to plant trees?

Planting a tree symbolizes coming of a new life into the world - is an ancient tradition. Comparing a person to a tree is very meaningful; just as a tree is destined to produce branches, leaves and fruits, a man is destined to work hard to achieve moral, spiritual and scientific truth.

“Man invents war. Man discovers peace.
He invents war from without. He discovers peace from within. War man throws. Peace man sows.The smile of war is the flood of human blood.The smile of peace is the love, below, above.”

Sri Chinmoy

Who can be commemorated with a tree?

• in memory of a perished person, either here in Drobitsky Yar, or was killed in a ghetto, or died far away from home. This will be a Path of Grief;
• in memory of a war veteran, who died either during a war, or after, and also in memory of children of a war time. This will be Path of the Heroes;
• in honour of those, who saved people from imminent death. This will be the Path of Righteous;
• in honour of a public activist, who worked for the sake of peace and human unity. This will be the Path of Philanthropists;
• Individuals also can plant a tree to commemorate those who perished or for the good of those alive. This will be the Path of Alive.

The following individuals were honoured with the Tree Planting Ceremony on the Opening Day:

1. Boris Solomonovich Elkin (1947-2011) - President of the International Solomonov University, Chairman of the Jewish Cultural Center “Beit Dan” Trustee Council, professor, scientist, mentor of education and a community leader. Path of Philanthropists in Peacemakers Park.
2. Marina Grigorievna Stalinskaya (1954-2012) – researcher and educator of Jewish history, traditions and culture; leader of the program “Jewish Self-consciousness” of “Sochnut” JA, coordinator of an educational Internet-vbased project “Jews on the Map of Ukraine”. Path of Philanthropists in Peacemakers Park.
3. Valeriy Zinovievich Tsisser (1950-2012) – businessman and public figure, member of the Jewish Cultural Center “Beit Dan” Trustee Council. Path of Philanthropists in Peacemakers Park.
4. Aleksandr Borisovich Kagan (1902-1992)- during 1954-1955 his efforts led to the opening of the first official Memorial to Nazee Victims in Drobitsky Yar. Path of Philanthropists in Peacemakers Park.
5. Lidia Aleksandrovna Ivanova-Kirilyuk (1924-) – war veteran and resident of Leningrad under blockade during a war time, mining engineer-geologist after the war. Path of the Living.

When can a tree be planted?

We plan to do the planting twice a year – in spring and in fall. You can plant a tree personally or to order planting remotely.

How to plant a tree?

Please contact Memorial Center “Drobitsky Yar”. Phone +38(057)754-7780 or www.drobytskyyar.org by filling up an application “Write to us” (“Пишите нам”). You will get advice on choosing a tree, finding a proper site for it, making a marker, etc., and the actual planting will be arranged.

How can you identify the planted tree?

Each tree is personalized by a marker. A Certificate will be issued to a person who ordered or planted a tree.

Hey Humanity, can you hear and see:By the well of sisterhood bonds Sarah-apple tree whispers in Yiddish,Hristya-apple tree - in Ukrainian tone.And the third one - a Russian girl, ManechkaStretches upward and touches the sky, And the fourth one Djan - is Armenian,Under ground those skeletons intertwined.

Yevgeny Yevtushenko

This initiative is sponsored by:

Jews on the Map of Ukraine. Internet-based project. Teams of volunteers visit cities, towns and villages to discover relics of Jewish heritage, meet with interesting people. On the site there are travel diaries, logs, historical data, useful addresses, as well as photo- and video clips of various events.

Global Shapers Community, Kharkov Hub. This is an initiative by International Economic Forum that unites young people with leadership qualities in many major cities around the world. These volunteers work on projects that will positively influence life in their communities and their countries.

Memorial Park and Museum ‘Drobytsky Yar’. One of the biggest in Europe and the only one in Ukraine Memorial Center honouring victims of the Holocaust is located on the site of mass extermination of civilian population of Kharkov by the Nazis in 1942-43. It was opened on the initiative of Jewish organizations, with the support of the city administration, well known Kharkov architects, and various sponsors.

Beit Dan. Jewish Cultural Center, symbol of the new Jewish rebirth. Center offers over 50 programs for children, students and adults.Professional educators, newly equipped facilities, including center for childhood development, Judaic studies etc. This is the best place in Kharkov for recreation, creativity and development.

Fund ‘Joint’. JDC is the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization, impacting millions of lives in more than 70 countries today. JDC leverages a century’s experience confronting poverty and crisis around the world to save the world poorest Jews, revitalize Jewish life, rescue victims of global emergency. Today ‘Joint’ is one of the important non-governmental agencies in Kharkov.

Quotes and graphics used in the design - by Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007). UNESCO Peace Prize winner, author of U-Tan Peace Prize, philosopher, writer, poet, artist and composer, initiator of numerous peace programs. He lectured over 200 times in major universities, performed over 700 concerts, holder of numerous awards.

We hope your trees will grow green, strong and people will enjoy them for many years to come.

Photo from the event