ShoppingThanksgiving for Rescuing Bulgarian Jews
2008-12-11 06:32
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Our next story is one of thanksgiving. Jewish residents in Bulgaria are honoring those that stood beside them during World War II. Here's more from our Israel bureau.
STORY:
49-thousand flowers were handed out to residents of Bulgarian cities and every flower symbolizes one Jewish life rescued in Bulgaria during WWII. The action is part of the international festival "Songs of Life" and commemorates the 65th anniversary of the Bulgarian Jews’ salvation from Nazi concentration camps.
Kalin and Sharon Tchonev have initiated this memorial festival in Bulgaria and Israel to express Israel's gratitude.
Sharon is an Israeli native and the granddaughter of two Bulgarian Jews who were rescued during WWII.
[Sharon Tchonev, Bulgarian’s Jews’ Granddaughter]:
“The meaning of this evening for me is freedom and preservation of life. My husband and I firmly believe that the united thanksgiving of people to God into the people that rescued them brings great results, which unites us, makes us better people, gives us hope and even direction to the future.”
Her husband Kalin is a Bulgarian musician and he felt the urge to organize an international thanksgiving choral festival.
[Kalin Tchonev, Musician]:
“The vision is to unite people in thanksgiving and the purpose is to bring this thanksgiving to God and to the people of Bulgaria, who rescued 49 thousand Bulgarian Jews during the Holocaust which was a dramatic and unparalleled act in Europe during the Holocaust. Bulgaria and Denmark are the only two European countries which performed total absolute rescue of their Jews during the Holocaust.”
Dozens of musicians from the USA, Bulgaria and Israel performed at the concert which attracted many Bulgarian Jews that survived those terrible days and live today in Israel.
Maybe the brave spirit of those Bulgarian citizens 65 years ago will also inspire people nowadays to stand by those who need it.
NTD, Israel.
