Martyrdom & Resistance, November/December 2001

ID Transcript mare2802_01 "Dj b © I fl y ' FEB 1 3 2002 OFF LIBRARY Vol. 28-No. 2 ISSN 0892-1571 November/December 2001-Heshvan/Kislev 5762 PANEL STOPS WORK, UNABLE TO OPEN VATICAN ARCHIVES ROME - After a promising beginning, a Holocaust panel of Jewish and Catholic historians examining Vatican actions during the Holocaust stopped its work and recriminations continue over who is to blame. The historians had been appointed to study Pope Pius XII's wartime actions. The Vatican provided 11 volumes of wartime correspondence. However, panelists asked for opening of the archives to resolve unanswered questions. Despite all contention, Jewish scholars still saw a ray of hope in Cardinal Kasper's letter of Aug. 24: ""Out of respect for the truth, the Holy See is ready to consent to the access of the Vatican's Secret Archive as soon as the reorganizing and the cataloging work is done."" In this report for the Associated Press, Nicole Winfield said, "" The volumes in many cases left out the Vatican's responses to report of atrocities... Pius, who is being considered for sainthood, is accused by many Jews of having failed to speak out against the Holocaust."" The Jewish coordinator of the research team, Seymour Reich, chairman of the International Jewish Committee for Inter-religious Consultations, said, ""What's deeply disappointing to me and what is a letdown is the failure on the part of the Vatican to furnish a positive reply to a team of scholars, one half of whom were appointed by them."" In October 2000 the commission released an initial report that spoke of the Pope's attempts to deal with reports of atrocities as ineffective diplomacy. According to Eugene Fisher, a panel coordinator BABI YAR MARKS 60TH YEAR (continued on page 16) IN THIS ISSUE Book Reviews 2,3,4 Claims Conference Anniversary.................... 5 Henry Ford and the Holocaust ................. 6 Report from Yad Vashem 8-9 Campus and Classroom ................... — 10 Paper Clips Project............................. 11 Kristallnacht as ""Beginning"" ..................... 13 Racism in Durban ....................... .. 14 Recalling Times Holocaust Coverage 15 ""Every nation can bring its contribution into mankind's development,"" said Ukraine President Leonid Kuchma as the country marked the 60""1 anniversary of the Babi Yar massacre. The President unveiled a monument to the children killed at the ravine. The memorial includes figures of abandoned and broken dolls. More than 33,000 Jews were killed in September 1941. ""We have no right to forget anything and will do all possible not to repeat the tragedy anywhere on the planet,"" according to Kiev Mayor Oleksandr Omelchenko. Attending the ceremony were government officials and foreign diplomats, Babi Yar survivors, and representatives of Jewish Organi-zations worldwide. A cornerstone was placed for a Jewish Heritage Community Center. "" The museum will show that we are alive and that we will live,"" according to the head of the Ukrainian Jewish Community Council, Ilya Levitas. The commemoration also occasioned reflection by scholars. Author of Ordinary Men, that examines the German killing forces that took part in Babi Yar, Prof. Christopher Browning called it a ""breakthrough massacre"" because of its size. But Babi Yar never brings up the same horrifying emotion that Auschwitz does, added Prof. Browning, who spoke at the University of North Carolina. ""There have been many massacres, but constructing gas chambers-industrialized massacres- is what gives the Holocaust its uniqueness."" ""The Jews of Lvov fell victim to the horror of the Nazi Holocaust, but their great Menorah survived, and as God promised Abraham, the people of Israel still live,"" - President Bush lighting a Menorah from Lvov at the White House residence. M The American & International Societies for Yad Vashem mark their 20th Anniversary. See center supplement for details. "