Minister Tõnis Lukas said in his speech that we must not let vagueness harass us or hide our heads in the sand. "It is important to notice crimes against humanity and violations of human rights. We need to notice early enough, intervene early enough, and stop such acts early enough! We will never forget or forgive the deportations and murders committed by totalitarian regimes in Estonia, of which both Estonians and Jews fell victim."
In addition to the minister, Grzegorz Kozłowski, the head of the Estonian diplomatic corps and the Polish ambassador to Estonia, Hagit Ben-Yaakov, the Israeli ambassador, and Alla Jakobson, the head of the Estonian Jewish community, gave speeches at the ceremony. The final blessings were given by the Estonian Chief Rabbi Smuel Kot.
This morning, the Minister visited the Estonian language department of the Tallinn Jewish School. The minister got to know the school family and wished them a lot of strength with the new venture. "The leaders of the Estonian language department here have set an excellent example for all ethnic minorities in Estonia. It is possible to keep the culture and tradition alive while offering education in Estonian language. This way, all doors are open for the children in the Estonian society, but they retain their identity as people."
Winter school
From Friday to Sunday, the Ministry of Education and Research, together with the Institute of Estonian Memory, organizes a winter school, where students have the opportunity to gain knowledge about anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, as well as about the Jewish nation, culture, customs and history.
The winter school program includes, among other things, workshops with the aim of supporting students in the preparation of educational materials on the history of the Holocaust within the framework of the ongoing competition. The completed courseware will be presented at the conference on March 17.
The Remembrance Day for victims of Holocaust and other crimes against humanity has been celebrated in Estonia since 2003. The commemorative events are organized by the Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia in cooperation with the Jewish Community of Estonia, the Estonian delegation of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory.
#WeRemember
