November 1, 2012 / 16 Cheshvan 5773

On October 16, 2012, a ceremony was held to inaugurate a monument dedicated to the memory of the late Alexander Pechersky, commander of the revolt at the Sobibor extermination camp in Poland in 1943.

The ceremony, held at Derech Shalom, an Amigour sheltered housing facility in Tel Aviv, was attended by Ministers Yuli Edelstein and Sofa Landver, Amigour Chairman Arieh Abir, Amigour CEO Yuval Frankel, representatives of the Russian Embassy, public officials, tenants, and Amigour employees.
Also present at the ceremony were Simcha Bialowitz, 100, and Derech Hashalom tenant Semyon Rosenfeld, 90—both survivors of Sobibor. The guest of honor was Natalie Ladichenko, granddaughter of Pechersky.

The ceremony’s heightened sense of emotion was felt in the voices and words of the speakers. They all emphasized the importance of commemorating the uprising at Sobibor, and Amigour’s unique contribution of providing a place to honor Pechersky and the other front line fighters against the Nazis.

Amigour resident, Semyon Rosenfeld, one of the last survivors and fighters highlighted the fact that the rebellion not only allowed the prisoners to escape, but also contributed to the destruction of the camp and the end of its extermination process. 

Particularly moving were the words of granddaughter, Natalie Ladichenko, who thanked Amigour and the audience members by name. She said, “Man lives within us as long as memory exists” and that the work of Amigour helps to uphold the memory of her grandfather.

The wreath-laying ceremony concluded with the government representatives, Amigour residents, and survivors and their families singing Hatikvah.

About 80 percent of the elderly Amigour residents are Holocaust survivors, which made the ceremony deeply moving.