This project involves creation of Holocaust museums in public schools and colleges in Ukraine. We pick an educational institution that is located within a short walking distance from a place where the Jews were killed. Our educational activities include excursions to the place of massacre, making a museum material real and not theoretical.
For students from other cities and nearby villages we organize bus trips to the museums and memorials where they have educational and commemoration events.
A few words about our research and artifacts used in the museums: we focus on the local Shoah events and use rare, archival materials from major museums like United States Holocaust Museum and Israel’s Yad Vashem Museum as well as from other sources. All information is being analyzed and verified. High school students work as guides in our school museums.
Segue into History
First Jews in Vinnitsa region and, in particular, in the city of Lypovets, appeared in the 15th century. City’s Jewish population began to grow after the decree of Catherine II about Jewish Pale of Settlement. By the end of the 20th century, almost half of city residents were Jews.
Lypovets was occupied in July 1941, and the first mass shooting took place on September 12, 1941 in the Berezovsky field area, when 200 people were shot there. The city was liberated only in 1944, during the occupation about 3,000 Jews were killed. Today, not a single Jew lives in Lypovets.
Project Description
Until World War II, Lipovets was a classic Jewish shtetl (small town). Like thousands of other similar places throughout Ukraine, Lypovets experienced all the horrors of the Holocaust. Our idea of creating a school museum was met with a great enthusiasm by the leadership of secondary school # 2 and the history teacher.
Thus, in 2021, a small, but impressive, school museum opened its doors in the Lypovets’ school. A very touching museum opening ceremony was held during a holiday week, and a rabbi had a spectacular treat for everyone – he sounded a shofar.
Acknowledgements
– Olena Nenukova, the history teacher from school #2 was the key contributors in Lubny project.
