President of the World Jewish Congress receives Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Award
On September 27, in New York City, President of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine, Vice-President of the World Jewish Congress, Boris Lozhkin, and Chairman of the Ukrainian Jewish Encounter, James C Temerty, conferred on President of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder, the honorary medal of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky. This is reported by the JCU website.
The award was founded by the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine in 2013. The medal of Sheptytsky is awarded to public figures who have made a significant contribution to the Ukrainian-Jewish understanding and cooperation.
Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, in honor of whom the award was named, was a legendary leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, who helped to save more than 150 Jewish lives during the Second World War. Sheptytsky hid Jews in his residence, despite the significant risk to his own life, and made sure monasteries protect more than a hundred Jewish children. None of them was betrayed or lost.
The ceremony was attended by one of the children rescued by Metropolitan Sheptytsky -- Dr. Leon Chemayds.
JCU honors Ronald Lauder for his dedicated service to the Jewish people, including work on the development of Jewish life, culture and education around the world. In particular, in Ukraine he has been supporting Jewish schools in Kyiv and Lviv for many years together with JCU, as well as an educational camp for Jewish children and families near Kyiv.
Boris Lozhkin noted that it is thanks to Lauder's charity and loyalty that the Ukrainian Jewish community today is strong and protected.
“Ronald Lauder helped unite the entire Jewish community of Ukraine by means of educational institutions such as the Shuva camp, Jewish day schools and kindergartens; as well as creating a modern security system to protect the Jewish community,” said Lozhkin.
