The Estonian Jewish Museum collection was founded by Mark Rõbak, the keeper of the history of Estonian Jewry. With the support of the Estonian Jewish Community, his dream of a museum of Estonian Jewry came true. In 2008, the Estonian Jewish Museum was opened in the building of the community center. After the passing of Mark Rõbak, a commemorative plaque in memory of the founder of the museum has been installed next to the entrance of the museum.
This year marks 15 years since the opening of the Estonian Jewish Museum. By that time, we would like to open a stand dedicated to Mark Rõbak. The stand represents a self-locking and illuminated glass display stand where we put personal belongings, documents and photos related to M. Rõbak. The stand will be installed in the Memorial Gallery of the Estonian Jewish Museum and will become part of the museum's permanent exhibition. Making a proper glass display stand costs almost 900 euros.
Every year on Mark Rõbak's birthday and death day, his friends and admirers write to us that the museum could contribute more to perpetuating his memory. In order to reach from words to actions, we start the collection of donations. We hope that everyone who cares about the memory of Mark Rõbak will take part in this collection. Instructions can be found on the museum's website https://museum.jewish.ee/en/homepage/visit/donate/ Add the explanation "In memory of M. Rõbak" or inform the museum about your donation by e-mail museum@jewish.ee or phone +372 56262251.
Please note that if you are required to submit an income declaration to the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, you must add your Estonian personal identification number The name of the payer must match the name of the person with the personal identification number on the ID document issued by Estonian authorities. In this case, you will get an income tax benefit after filing your income tax return.
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On 27 January 2022 a memorial was unveiled at the Liiva Cemetery in Tallinn in memory of Estonian Jews who were murdered in an anti-tank trench in the city and nearby in 1941. 300 to 600 Estonian Jews are buried in mass graves at the Liiva Cemetery.
At the national commemoration ceremony for the victims of the Holocaust which took place at the site of the memorial, Minister of Education and Research Liina Kersna said that it is the duty of adults to tell schoolchildren about the Holocaust in order to prevent such crimes against humanity in the future.
"For today's young people, these events decades ago may seem distant. It is our duty as adults to tell schoolchildren about the Holocaust and explain what led to such events in human history. This is one way of preventing the recurrence of such acts of horror in the future," said minister Kersna.
This year, the Ministry of Education and Research, together with the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory organized a winter school where students have the opportunity to learn about antisemitism and the Holocaust as a crime against humanity, as well as about the Jews as a nation, their culture, customs and history.
Minister Kersna added that standing at the memorial to the victims of the tragic crime against humanity on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we recall our duty to oppose any attempt to deny the Holocaust or to justify any crime against humanity: "There are many tragic events in human history that we can remember in retrospect as very painful lessons. We must never forget these lessons."
The President of the Republic of Estonia Alar Karis, the Minister of Education and Research Liina Kersna, the Head of the Diplomatic Corps and the Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to Estonia H.E Mr Raimonds Jansons and the Chairwoman of the Estonian Jewish Community Alla Jakobson spoke at the commemoration ceremony. The Israeli Ambassador to Estonia H.E. Ms Hagit Ben-Yaakov sent a written address. The final blessings were given by the Estonian Chief Rabbi Smuel Kot.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day has been celebrated in Estonia since 2003. The commemorative events that mark the 77th year since the liberation of the Auschwitz- Birkenau concentration camp was organized by the Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia together with the Jewish Community of Estonia, the Estonian delegation to the the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory.
Since 2007, Estonia has been a member of the IHRA which unites governments and experts to strengthen, advance and promote Holocaust education, research and remembrance worldwide and to uphold the commitments of the Declaration of the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust.
Original from IHRA
