The Hesed Besht Cultural Foundation is linked by fruitful cooperation with the territorial communities of the region. The paths of history have united the destinies of the Jewish and Ukrainian peoples, closely intertwined them. Recently, the leadership of the communities has been turning to us for help in creating local history museums, and we are happy to help with materials.
Before World War I, Derazhnya was a typical Jewish town, with Jewish schools, colleges, a printing house, a gymnasium, a library and, of course, synagogues. Later, even a Jewish collective farm was organized - a very successful one, by the way. In 1917-1920, the Jewish population of Derazhnya suffered from pogroms, and in the late 1930s, Jewish schools were closed. World War II put an end to the relative prosperity of the Jewish community. Young and healthy men went to war, and the vast majority of the Jewish population died in the Holocaust.
This is not such a distant past, there is great interest in it. Therefore, the creation of a museum is a completely natural and understandable thing. The head of the culture department of the Derazhnya AH Mykola Vasylyovych Cherkasky came to us in search of materials that would take a worthy place in the exposition of the future museum of religion, would tell future generations about the peaceful coexistence of fraternal peoples, about the significant contribution of Jews to the economic, cultural and spiritual development of the region. And he left us, as you can see from this photo, not empty-handed!
Even though local museums are not as large as those in the capital, their humanitarian significance is undeniable. They also fulfill an educational and educational mission. This is the history of the native land, concentrated in documents, photographs, household items, artifacts, and written eyewitness accounts. A history that you can touch.
