Cornerstone Laid in Ceremony for Tkuma, the Ukrainian National Holocaust Museum

After three years of gathering information and artifacts, educating public school teachers, developing Jewish history and Holocaust studies curriculum and holding numerous international scholars research seminars, Tkuma and the Jewish community of Dnepropetrovsk laid the cornerstone of the Tkuma Ukrainian National Holocaust Museum.

The Tkuma museum will be the headquarters of Tkuma educational activity and the center for Jewish history and Holocaust studies in Ukraine. By building the museum in the middle of town, connected to the Synagogue and JCC, Jews of Ukraine and Dnepropetrovsk will now be able to share their unique history and identity together with their Ukrainian neighbors, ensuring mutual understanding and tolerance.

Major Community and World Support
The Tkuma Museum project evolved in Dnepropetrovsk because of the large community support behind the project. Not only is Tkuma center run by a large community board, but the majority of the building costs were pledged by local donors of the Jewish community, as well as other funds from the Claims Conference and JDC. The cornerstone of this meticulously planned museum was laid on October 29th, 2003 by Israeli Knesset Member, Natan Sharansky, Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yonah Metzger, Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine, Naomi Ben Ami, Ukrainian Minister of Education and Science V. Kremen, Ukrainian Parliament members, Dnepropetrovsk region Governor and City Mayor, JDC Board member Mr. Elliot Cohen, U.S. and British Embassies and over 1,200 visitors from the Jewish community of Dnepropetrovsk. The ceremony also received media coverage from around the world including Ukrainian papers, television, Israeli radio and The Forward newspaper. Strong support from the local government and the Ukrainian community, together with the Jewish community, make the Tkuma project unique, and an example for other states in the FSU.

International Scholars Research Seminar
The cornerstone laying ceremony took place at the culmination of the 3rd Annual International Scholars Research Seminar with professors from around the world including from Bar-Ilan University, Yad Vashem, Ghetto Fighters Museum, Haifa University, Hebrew University, University of Florida, New York University, Northwestern and others. The Tkuma Museum is scheduled to open by the summer of 2006.