site.btaCampaign to Popularize Contribution of 20 Persons to Bulgarian Jews' Rescue

October 21 (BTA) - A campaign to popularize the contribution of 20 Bulgarians to the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews from deportation to Nazi death camps during World War II was launched at the Shalom Jewish Cultural Centre in Sofia on October 20. The campaign, called "Remembered for the Good They Did", marks the 80th anniversary of the rescue of 50,000 Bulgarian Jews. It will be conducted under the patronage of President Rumen Radev.

The people to be honoured in the campaign have been proclaimed "righteous among the nations" by the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Centre in Jerusalem.

Radev's press secretariat quoted him as saying: "It is incumbent upon us to protect the legacy of our ancestors who rescued the Bulgarian Jews and to pass it down through the generations. Even in the darkest period of human history, the Bulgarian people demonstrated the triumph of humaneness, solidarity and courage, things that make up the fabric of Bulgarian society nowadays."

The President went on to say: "We must preserve not just the memory of the events but also the model of strong unity of all Bulgarian citizens back in those times, regardless of their nationality and ethnic identity. Back then, all Bulgarians stood up to defend their neighbours, friends, colleagues and fellow townsmen for the sake of the highest human value: life."

According to the President, these memories give everyone strength and confidence to build a prosperous and strong civil society. "Hate speech, xenophobia and anti-Semitism have no roots and no future in Bulgaria thanks to the accomplishments of our ancestors, which we should carry through the generations." he said.

He expressed his confidence that the Jewish community will remain deeply integrated in Bulgarian society and will be fully functional in all spheres of social, economic and cultural life. LG/VE