Jews in the Soviet Union: A Complex Narrative

Join us for the third and final program on Sunday, March 23, 2025

3 PM EST | 8 PM CET | 9 PM SAST | 9 PM IST

The First Million:
When the Murderer Comes to the House of the Victims

Opening Remarks:
Tamara Vershitskaya
Founder of the Jewish Resistance Museum in Novogrudok'
Jewish Heritage Specialist
The Together Plan

Guest speaker:
Boris Maftsir
The Hidden Holocaust in the Soviet Union

The German invasion of the Soviet Union, known as Operation Barbarossa, began on June 22, 1941, and led to the genocidal phase of the “Final Solution of the Jewish Question”. Immediately after the German army occupied a certain area,’special task forces'(Einsatzgruppen), subordinate to the security police, entered this region. Orders issued after the invasion, including the infamous ‘Commissar Order’ (Kommissarbefehl), issued by the German army and security forces, stipulated that Nazi Germany would persecute Soviet Jews, the only ethnic group mentioned in these orders, along with other enemies of the Reich. These Jews were exterminated before the Wannsee Conference, held on January 20, 1942, which extended the implementation of the "Final Solution" policy to the rest of Europe in 1942.

In the third and final program, Boris Maftsir, world renowned filmmaker, will be giving a lecture on his documentary film project – The First Million: The Hidden Holocaust in the Soviet Union. Maftsir will discuss how the Holocaust in this region was erased from public memory. He will also share with the audience new discoveries about the mass murders in Lithuania.

In remembrance of these innocent victims, Maftsir will incorporate video clips from his documentary project SEARCHING FOR THE UNKNOWN HOLOCAUST. Through this project, he hopes to educate and raise awareness about atrocities committed during this dark period in history.

You can learn more about this project and view the documentary films here:
https://holocaustinussr.com/movies/

This program is in partnership with the Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Center, Classrooms Without Borders, the Rabin Chair Forum at George Washington University, the Together Plan, the Jewish Tapestry Project, and Yahad-In Unum.

Click on the link to book your tickets!!