82nd anniversary of rescue of Bulgarian Jews marked with ceremony
An official ceremony and the “We Remember” tolerance march took place in central Sofia on Sunday to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of the rescue of Bulgarian Jews and to honor the memory of those who lost their lives in Nazi death camps.
The march began at the Church of Saint Sophia and ended at the Monument to the Rescue of the Bulgarian Jewish Community, BTA reports.
Among the participants were the Speaker of the National Assembly Nataliya Kiselova, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, Mayor of Sofia Vasil Terziev, Foreign Minister Georgi Georgiev, members of parliament, the president of the Shalom Organization of Jews in Bulgaria Assoc. Prof. Alexander Oscar and the Ambassador of Israel to Bulgaria Yosi Levi Sfari.
Addressing the event, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov reflected on the significance of the historic rescue of Bulgarian Jews: “Eighty-two years separate us from those momentous events when, in an atmosphere of oppression, totalitarian darkness and terror, Bulgarians from all walks of life – clergy, politicians, public figures and the right of their citizens to defend their citizens. voices became the embodiment of humanity and compassion.”
“Let us remember the victims, honor them and never close our eyes to evil. Let us carry forward the virtues that make us proud today, but also compel us to act rightly – to act with humanity,” Zhelyazkov added, reports KosovaPress.
National Assembly Speaker Kiselova stressed the responsibility to reject all forms of xenophobia, racism and anti-Semitism, not only in Bulgaria, but globally. “Let us remember the honorable Bulgarians who helped save Bulgarian Jews. Let us bow our heads in memory of the Jews from Aegean Thrace, Vardar Macedonia and the city of Pirot, who were killed in Nazi camps during World War II,” she said.
Sofia Mayor Terziev stressed that March 10 is a day of remembrance and responsibility, ensuring that the lessons of history are not forgotten and humanity is not compromised. “At a time when the darkness of war threatened to consume thousands of innocent lives, ordinary people made an extraordinary choice – they chose courage over fear, solidarity over subjugation, and human life over political convenience,” he said.
Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev called the events of 82 years ago the golden page in Bulgarian history and the supreme symbol of humanity. “There is nothing more valuable and noble than human life,” he said, reports KosovaPress.
Israeli Ambassador Yosi Levi Sfari stressed that Bulgaria has influential figures who stood up and said, “This will not happen here.” He noted that this serves as an extraordinary historical lesson on the power of people when faced with evil.