Skip to content
Call Us Today! 212-533-4646 | MON-FRI 12PM - 4PM (EST)
DONATE
SUBSCRIBE
Search for:
About Us
Publications
FAQ
Annual Report 2023
Annual Report 2022
Annual Report 2021
Initiatives
Advocate
Educate
Cultivate
Care
News
Newsletters
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Join UNWLA
Become a Member
Volunteer With Us
Donate to UNWLA
Members Portal
Calendar
Shop to Support Ukraine
Search for:
Print
Print Page
Download
Download Page
Download Right Page
Open
1
2-3
4-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17
18-19
20-21
22-23
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
34-35
36-37
38-39
40
8 OUR LIFE • January-February 2024 NJ Regional Council Co-Hosts Holodomor Lecture at Rutgers ЗАХИЩАЄМО • ADVOCATE To commemorate the 90th anniver - sary of the Holodomor, an informa - tive lecture entitled “Moscow’s Star - vation of Ukraine (1932–1933): Why, How, and So What?” was presented by Victor Rud, JD, at the Douglass Li - brary of Rutgers University on Mon - day, December 4. The event was a joint effort of the Rutgers library, the UNWLA New Jersey Regional Council, led by Oksana Konyk, and the Rutgers Ukrainian Students Club. Branches 75 and 135 took the lead, headed by presidents Margareta Nycz and Myra Downey, respectively. Branch 75 member Maria Kvit-Flynn coordinat - ed the event with the library and the students club. Maria is also a mem - ber of the U.S. Holodomor Commit - tee and provided the Holodomor ex - hibit that was displayed prominently during the prior month in the rotun - da of the library for students to view and study. Important books about the Holodomor were on display, and a book for comments was placed next to the display. The comments were not surprising – “Why haven’t we ever heard about this?” – rein - forcing why the Holodomor needs to be studied. One of the tasks of the U.S. Holodomor Committee and its Curriculum sub-committee is to do just that: mandate that Holodomor history be part of the curriculum in primary and sec - ondary schools. On November 28, 2023, the Ontario government mandated the study of the Holodomor in Grade 10 Canadian his - tory courses beginning in September 2024. This is great news coming from Canada, and we hope it will serve as an impetus to implement the same here in the United States. The lecture by Victor Rud was very well received. Mr. Rud is the son of Holodomor survivors and has studied the Holodomor for many years. He has shared his expertise at the United Nations, West Point, the Foreign Service Institute at the State Department, and the American University Kyiv, among others. His analysis and commentary have appeared in various academic and policy jour - nals, newspapers, and other publications. One of Mr. Rud’s recur - ring themes was the use of politics in both the Holodomor and today’s war in Ukraine. “Famine denial became a necessary the - matic trope of the public relations campaign for FDR’s recognition of the USSR. The public had to believe that it would enhance eco - nomic interests and secure peace” (quoting Prof. Ray Gamache). Today, aid for Ukraine’s war is withheld pending passage of politi - cally charged legislation in Congress. Adding to the success of the evening was the contribution by the two librarians, Kayo Denda and Judit Ward. Mrs. Denda, the event’s project coordinator, expressed gratitude for the opportu - nity to host the event. “Thanks again for the wonderful exhibi - tion and Mr. Rud’s presentation. I am glad we were able to host such an important event in the Douglass Library. The exhibit and presentation were examples of how libraries can be more than repositories of books and can serve as a site to bring people to - gether and enrich our lives. It was an honor to collaborate with you and other members of your organization.” Mrs. Ward’s work for the Holodomor effort was monumental; she posted online at the Rutgers library all the most current and important resources for studying the famine, which Maria presented to her from Lana Babij, our Holodomor research librarian from Connecticut. Rut - gers students now have the best materials available to date to study the Holodomor. On November 16, the Rutgers Ukrainian Students Club had screened the feature film Mr. Jones at the Rutgers Cinema as part of their Holodomor initiative. During the Victor Rud event, the students passed out the Walter Duranty revocation petition to participants. The evening ended with refreshments and conversa - tion with our guest speaker and other attendees. As Ukrainians fight for their existence today, they are driven in part by the memory of the Holodomor, as the war is threaten - ing global food security, a stark reminder of what their ancestors experienced during the dark days of the Holodomor. This year’s Holodomor slogan, “Holodomor then, genocide now, justice when,” echoes the outcome that all Ukrainians now demand. Marusia Kvit-Flynn , Branch 75, Maplewood, NJ
Page load link
Go to Top
1 
2-3 
4-5 
6-7 
8-9 
10-11 
12-13 
14-15 
16-17 
18-19 
20-21 
22-23 
24-25 
26-27 
28-29 
30-31 
32-33 
34-35 
36-37 
38-39 
40 
