The Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine,” a leading cultural and historical institution of the Dnipro Jewish Community, has enriched its collection with a new unique artifact – a memorial lamp, the “Menorah of Memory” (“Menorah Zikaron”), created by Arkadiy (Aaron) Shmist, one of the leaders of the Jewish revival in Dnipro and Ukraine. For many years, this lamp was used by the Dnipro Jewish Community during ceremonies commemorating the victims of the Holocaust, and it now holds a worthy place in the museum’s exhibition.
The “Menorah of Memory” was created by Arkadiy Shmist long before the memorial marker was erected at the site of the mass shootings of Jews in Dnipro (the area of Dovha Balka, later Gagarin Park, now Studentskyi Park). It became one of the main symbols of the annual memorial events held there by the Dnipro Jewish Community. Thus, this exhibit is not only an artistic work but also a direct participant in the history of preserving the memory of Holocaust victims in our city.
The lamp’s creator, Arkadiy (Aaron ben Leizer) Shmist (1946–2005), was among those who stood at the origins of the revival of Jewish life in Dnipro in the late 1980s. One of the most important areas of his work was preserving the memory of the Jews who fell victim to Nazi genocide. Arkadiy Shmist was one of the initiators of the first open memorial events in the area of Studentskyi Park – the site where, on October 13–14, 1941, Nazi punitive units exterminated between eleven and thirteen thousand residents of the city. Thanks to his persistence and efforts, nearly six decades after the tragedy, a memorial marker appeared at this very site, marking the first stage of the creation of a large-scale memorial.
The lamp carries deep symbolism. Twelve candles recall the thousands of Jews murdered in Dovha Balka, while simultaneously symbolizing the memory of over six million Jews – victims of the Holocaust in Europe. The sixfold repetition of the combination of the Hebrew letters “ה” (Hei) and “י” (Yud), which crowns the lamp, forms the word “Chai” – “Life,” symbolizing the rebirth of the Jewish people despite the Catastrophe. It is no coincidence that during Arkadiy Shmist’s lifetime, this lamp was given the name “Menorah Zikaron” (“Menorah of Memory”) in a “Shabbat Shalom” newspaper article, which most accurately reflects its purpose.
“This lamp is not only a reminder of the tragedy of the Holocaust but also a monument to the people who, in the late 1980s, restored Dnipro’s Jewish memory. For our Museum, it is especially important to preserve not only documents and photographs but also objects that themselves were part of these historical events. The ‘Menorah of Memory’ simultaneously tells the story of the tragedy of the Jewish people and the history of the revival of our city’s Jewish community,” notes Yehor Vradii, PhD, Deputy Director of the Museum. “On behalf of the Museum ‘Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine,’ I express sincere gratitude to Rabbi Reuven Kaminezki for the transfer of this unique artifact, and to Oleksandr Shafer for his assistance in its inclusion in the museum collection.”
