Russia and Ukraine–Heavenly Reward and Punishment

I visited the impressive memorial in Netanya yesterday – commemorating the contribution of the Red Army in WWII and the battle sites in defeating the Nazis and liberating the death camps. Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Putin had dedicated the memorial in 2012. Here is a reminder of the Russian sacrifice: 27 million Russians were killed in WW2 including 2 million Jews from the former Soviet Union of the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis. By comparison, 405 thousand Americans were killed in the war. To a significant extent Russia was responsible for the Nazi defeat.

Not mentioned at the memorial is the obviously large number of Jews killed by the Stalin regime in the gulag. Nor is there a mention of Ukraine – which had been part of the Soviet Union until conquered by the Nazis – where local Ukrainian partisans joined with Nazis in killing 1.1 million Jews in what was known as the bullet holocaust. This was the reason they created the crematoria system – trigger finger and burial mental and physical fatigue.

Today Ukraine’s ADL survey data finds the country to be over 50% antisemitic and Russia sits at 35%. It appears that their native population’s attitude towards Jews has not changed since World War II. Nor have they found empathy with the Jews of Israel and found a reason to support us in the UN.

We say in our daily tefilot that HaShem rewards our good deeds for a thousand generations but punishes misdeeds for 3 or 4 generations especially if the latter generations have not done teshuva and changed their attitudes. Russia’s involvement in helping defeat the Nazis is on the plus ledger. Stalin’s actions and Ukraine’s holocaust history are on the other side. We should understand there may be larger forces at work.

Nevertheless, it is absolutely horrible what is happening and we as Jews and Israelis, should still encourage all efforts towards a peaceful resolution keeping in mind there are substantial percentages of both countries who are not antisemitic. Bezrat HaShem – with God’s help, their perspectives, those who support Israel and the Jewish people, will ultimately prevail.