Courtesy of Alla Gopshtein
COVID has yet again put a damper
on KleinLife’s Yom HaShoah obser-
vance, which used to take place in
person, but will continue virtually this
year due to the many older and vul-
nerable individuals the organization
serves. This year, the implications of the
war along with split political opinions
among refugees, have made the timing
of the day of remembrance particularly
tense. “People are just down,” Krug said.

Krug’s father is a Ukrainian
Holocaust survivor, and he has had to
grapple with his own reactions to the
war in addition to providing support
for fellow Ukrainians.

“I lost most of my relatives during
the Second World War. Most of my
family stayed in Ukraine, so basically,
they were executed by Nazis,” Krug
said. “It’s a story of many families
from the former Soviet Union. Now,
we have to watch in disbelief of what’s
happening.” Though sympathetic to fellow
Ukrainians who are resentful of their
home country, Krug believes differ-
ently. In times of political regression,
Alla Gopshtein and her family
as Krug describes it, the importance
of moving forward, on both a global
and individual level, is crucial to
survival. Krug tries to remember how Ukraine
has tried to make amends for its past
antisemitism. Electing and rallying behind
Jewish Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy was a way for the country to
demonstrate this, Krug believes.

Alla Gopshtein and her family in Kiev in 1984
For peace of mind, Krug is hoping
to move forward from Ukraine’s past
antisemitic transgressions to stand in
solidarity with Ukraine and maintain
hope for the future. Jews have a unique
perspective that allows for this, he said.

“If Jews would remember all the
injustices that were adopted against
them, we might as well call it quits,”
Krug said. “Are we going to hold onto
this type of vengeance? This type of,
‘How long are we going to remember
this?’” “For how long?” Krug continued.

“Until we say, ‘You know what? We’re
moving forward; we’re looking for-
ward. We’re going to be better people
for this.’” JE
srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com Thank you to this community
for generously donating
more than $1.19 million to
directly help those in need
in Ukraine.

Together, we are
making a difference.

The Jewish Community Fund makes it possible
for the Jewish Federation to immediately
respond to this crisis and others as they evolve.

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24 APRIL 28, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM