To mark the 82nd anniversary of the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews
A special ceremony was held at 134 SU "Dimcho Debelyanov" - ORT School to mark the 82nd anniversary of the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews and to honor the memory of the 11,343 Jews who were sent to the death camps from Vardar Macedonia, Aegean Thrace, and Pirot.
In his official address to the guests, Deputy Head of Mission Mr. Tadian Poplinger noted:
"At a time when many nations remained silent or collaborated with the Nazi extermination machine, Bulgarian Jews found brave allies who risked their own lives to stop their deportation and prevent the impending catastrophe. Thanks to their moral commitment and courage, nearly 50,000 Jews were saved from a cruel fate. Unfortunately, on the same day, 11,343 Jews from Macedonia, Thrace, and the city of Pirot were deported from territories under Bulgarian administration to the death camps and never returned.
The bravery of those who saved the Bulgarian Jews was an expression of the long-standing coexistence and mutual respect between Bulgarians and Jews.”
During the ceremony, prayers were recited by representatives of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and by Rabbi Salomon, while the Protosyngellos of the Sofia Holy Metropolis also read an address from His Holiness Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil.
A special speech was delivered by the school principal, Mrs. Vesela Paldamova. The event was honored with congratulatory addresses from the President and Vice President of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Tourism, the Military Academy, and others.
The ceremony was attended by ministers and representatives of state institutions, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of religious communities, descendants of the Bulgarian Righteous Among the Nations, members of the Jewish community, as well as representatives of the academic community.
The event concluded with the laying of wreaths and flowers in front of the "Wall of the Bulgarian Righteous Among the Nations".
