Iosif Liberman, leader of the local Jewish community who accompanied the Microsoft CEO in Pinsk, told BelaPAN that Mr. Ballmer had arrived together with his sister on October 25 [2007], with the one-day visit being his gift to her on the occasion of her 50th birthday.
The two visited an exhibition of Jewish artists at the Museum of Belarusian Palessye, the grave of their great grandfather at a Jewish cemetery, the building that was once their cousin’s bakery, and the synagogue where Mr. Ballmer talked with Rabbi Moshe Fima.
The local Jewish community presented a candlestick from Israel, other souvenirs, as well as books and pictures about Pinsk, to the guests, Mr. Liberman said."
Source: Naviny [BelaPAN], 2007-10-29
German SS troops razed a ghetto in this town on the border with Poland in the fall of 1942, killing 26,000 of its 34,000 residents, among 50 thousand Jews killed during Germany's four-year of occupation of this westernmost republic of the then Soviet Union.
Israel's Ambassador in Belarus, Zeev Ben-Arie, representatives of Polish Consulate General, the Byelorussian Union of Jewish Communities, and other public organizations took part in the commemorations this week.
The Brest ghetto was the largest in Byelorussia. Byelorussian Jews who managed to escape from ghettos created guerilla units and fought against the German occupation. After the war ended, the chief commander of Jewish units, Tuvia Belski, emigrated to the United States. He died in 1986 and was buried in Jerusalem.
Also this week, 15 gravestones in a Jewish cemetery were vandalized in the Byelorussian town of Bobruysk. Anti-Semitic graffiti was painted on the gates of the cemetery along with a swastika."
Source: Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 2007-10-19
It should be reminded that Lukashenka said: “If you visited Babruisk, you saw in what condition the town was. It was frightfully to enter, it was a pigsty. It was largely a Jewish town, and you know what the attitude the Jews have towards the place they live. Look at Israel, I have been there… In no case want I to offend them, but they do not care of the grass to be cut like in Moscow, at Russians, Belarusians. Such was the town… Possible to live – good. Wooden houses – not bad, brick-built – not bad, too. Paved street – good, not paved – well. Such was the town. We have brought it to order and say to the Israeli Jews – guys, come back. I have said them come back with money”.
17 October in the comment to BelaPAN Zeev Ben-Arie expressed his “surprise and regret” concerning the Belarusian President’s remarks addressing Jews. “The echo of, as I hoped, the long ago buried by the enlightened mankind myth of untidy, dirty, stinking Jews, the anti-Semitic myth, is heard”, - the diplomat noted. “An impression appears that Babruisk was an independent Jewish barony with its independent budget, not one of the Belarusian towns where the responsibility for improvement and resources for it were in the hands of the local authorities. Thanks God, they find the facilities for urban development now”, - the ambassador said. At the same time he wished “the Belarusian towns would reach the level of municipal and social services of Israel, with its health service, the aged and handicapped people care, drug control, alcoholism and domestic violence, kindergartens and schools equipment, though the president detected somewhere uncut grass”."
Source: Charter 97, 2007-10-19
Note: Another media source states that the Israeli ambassador had not been recalled, but while on a vacation in Israel, met for consultations with Israeli government officials (The Jerusalem Post, Oct. 22, 2007).
“If you were in Babruysk, you saw in what condition the city was. Entering it was a fearful experience! It was a sty! This was mainly a Jewish city. Well, you know how Jews treat the place where they’re living. Look in Israel,” he said."
In an interview with BelaPAN, Ambassador Zeev Ben Arie said that the remarks were reminiscent of “the anti-Semitic myth depicting Jews as untidy, dirty, smelling people.” “There’s an impression that Babruysk was an independent Jewish place with its own budget rather than one of Belarusian cities where the responsibility and funds for its cleanup and landscaping were in the hands of authorities,” he stressed.
The diplomat said he wished that “municipal and social services” in Belarus would one day match Israel’s level, “although the president saw untrimmed grass somewhere.”
Referring to a recent vandal attack on a Jewish cemetery in Babruysk and the appearance of anti-Semitic graffiti on a building in Slutsk, he expressed hope that “in Belarus, on whose land one of Europe’s biggest Jewish communities was nearly entirely destroyed at the hands of Nazis and their henchmen, they will devote more attention to manifestations of anti-Semitism and refrain from any remarks that may encourage such regrettable phenomena.” " Marat HARAVY
Source: Naviny [BelaPAN], 2007-10-17
“If you have ever been to Babruisk, you must have seen what the town looked like. It was terrible! A real pigpen! And that was mostly a Jewish town. You know how Jews treat the places where they live. Look at Israel; they’re not so particular about cutting lawns like in Russia or Belarus,” Lukashenka said.
But it’s not about lawns. It’s about cemetery. In Babruisk 15 graves were profaned, monuments were thrown down and broken. The Jewish cemetery of Babruisk didn’t know such a blatant vandalism although it is 86 years old, Polish Radio emphasizes. The vandalism in Babruisk and the commentary of the country’s president were not ignored by Israeli Ambassador to Belarus Zeev Ben Arye.
“The echo of Anti-Semitism is clear, although I hoped it’s gone now. And it’s not about the fact that such things still happen. Of course, this is terrible, but this can happen anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, the criminals are normally not found and not punished. I believe such cases need more attention, a wider coverage in the media. Nevertheless, we have repeatedly emphasized that in the modern Belarus there is no Anti-Semitism as a mass phenomenon,” the Ambassador said.
The vandalism strengthened by the statements of the country’s head made a sensation, Israel’s Ambassador said.
The police are searching for Babruisk vandals, but representatives of the Jewish community don’t expect a positive result. At the same time, according to the latest population census, in Babruisk there live 4 thousand Jews out of 250 thousand people."
Source: Charter 97, 2007-10-19
"I was terrified when I saw the committed, - L. Rubinshtein said, - Besides some monuments were torn out with the basement, there were human excrement on the chips".
The existed since 1921 old Jewish cemetery hasn't yet known such an unprecedented act of vandalism. "There were acts of vandalism before, of course, when 5-6 graves were damaged slightly. For example, in summer a man was caught, who was stealing stainless steel fences, - the local inhabitants told BelaPAN. – But such barbarity had never occurred. The cemetery keeper Marat Petlah was the first to see the committed. He informed the community chairman. The militiamen draw up a report, but the Jews have no hope the criminals will be found".
"Even I can't call it the demonstration of antisemitism, - L. Rubinshtein explained, - As some time ago approximately 30 graves on the local Belarusian cemetery were violated in a similar way. Though we face anti-Semitism demonstration, too. Some time ago, for example, on the cemetery gates and on the bus stop near it the swastika and words humiliating Jews were written".
12 October the community chairman sent a letter to Babruisk mayor where he asked to help in guard of Jewish cemetery in Minskaya Street and other town cemeteries.
By estimate, the made by vandals damage amounted more than USD 12,000."
Source: Charter 97, 2007-10-15
While addressing the gathering, Israeli Ambassador Zeev Ben Arie recalled November 2006 vandal attacks on the Yama memorial and the building where the Israeli Cultural and Information Center is located. He expressed regret that there was a lack of response from authorities to the attacks, suggesting that this was an attempt to hush up them. "Unfortunately, such attempts tarnish the Belarusian people and law-enforcement agencies," he said.
When the Red Army liberated Minsk on July 3 1944, only 13 Jews remained in the city, according to Leanid Levin, head of the Union of Belarusian Jewish Public Associations."
Source: Naviny [BelaPAN], 2007-03-02
"Exhibits represent various aspects of the Holocaust, including those associated with the repression of almost 600 thousand Jews in Germany."
"The lists of a part of the German Jews deported to Minsk and killed in the Minsk Ghetto and the lists of the Belarusian victims of the Trascjanec death camp are also on display."
"The exhibition also narrates about the fate of the executors, tried after the World War II for the crimes against humanity."
Source: European Radio for Belarus, 2007-01-27 14:51:35