MEMORIAL TO THE VICTIMS OF THE NOVI SAD RAID IN 1942

Milan Đurić, the Mayor of Novi Sad, attended the Memorial of the 82nd anniversary of the Pogrom in Novi Sad Raid, which took place on the Victims' Quay close to the "Family" monument. The Chief Rabbi of Serbia, Isak Asiel, gave a sermon and a prayer memorial. He was followed by His Eminence the Bishop of Bačka, Dr. Irinej, who spoke on behalf of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Traditionally, the choirs of the Cathedral Church "St. George" and the Jewish community "Hashira" participated in both the prayer memorial and the sermon. Wreaths were laid by representatives of the City Assembly, the Government and Assembly of Vojvodina, the embassies of Israel and Hungary, as well as representatives of cities of Sremska Mitrovica, Šabac, Kragujevac, Niš and Zemun, the delegation of the Jewish Municipality of Novi Sad, the Union of Jewish Municipalities of Serbia, the Jewish Municipalities of Serbia, Cultural Institution of Roma people “Matica Roma” and descendants of Novi Sad Raid victims. After laying wreaths on the "Family" monument, the wreath was also lowered into the Danube from the River Flotilla ship of the Serbian Armed Forces, in the presence of the Vice President of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and Minister of Defense Miloš Vučević and Mayor Milan Đurić.

- The death specter stalked Novi Sad's streets from the very first day of the occupation, in April 1941. However, the greatest scourge of evil transpired during the course of three awful days in January 1942. A frightening quiet descended upon our city on January 21. Officers' shouts, shooting, and the sound of occupying soldiers kicking cobblestones across Novi Sad's freezing streets periodically broke the eerie atmosphere. After the guns stopped firing, there was anguish, shock, and cries that can still be heard throughout Serbian Athens. Nearly half of the confirmed casualties in Novi Sad were female, proving that this was a crime against humanity rather than an action against individual rebels. Today we know the names of 418 women, 79 girls and 102 old women who were brutally murdered. Innocent blood was spilled, and the goal was to cleanse Novi Sad of the unfit, through physical liquidations, but also through displacement and expulsion. Under our feet, under this icy water lies an entire city, our foundation and our root, our Šanac! That city will live as long as the memory lasts. Today, Novi Sad looks completely different than the boot of the occupation wanted. From darkness was born light, and from death was born life. It is our resistance and our response to evil and hatred. Novi Sad remained a city of victory and love, a city of youth and culture. The city of the future! - said Mayor Milan Đurić, stressing that the design process for the future Memorial Center for Pogrom victims in Bačka, which will be located near Štrand, has been completed.

His Eminence, Bishop Irinej of Bačka, emphasized that every war is a tragedy in the human race, and that the memory will never disappear from the descendants and the circle of relatives of the victims.
- One can somehow understand a just and defensive war, but a crime against one person or millions of people is a crime. The first crime in the history of the human race is fratricide. We pray to God and try to be as good people as possible, and in this way we will contribute to the eradication of primordial evil - said Bishop Irinej of Bačka.

The Chief Rabbi of the Jewish community in Serbia, Isak Asiel, said that what happened during the time of the Nazis, can happen even today, because the world has become even more skilled in barbarism and in hiding true intentions.
- Jews survived the most cruel degradation of the human race during the Second World War. However, they managed to hold on. They knew that one day their faith would be translated into historical reality - said Isak Asiel, adding that with the establishment of the state of Israel, the Jews were given a clear confirmation of God's protection.

Members of the women's charitable society “Circle of Serbian Sisters” served the attendees with ritual food, cake and boiled wheat and walnuts “koljivo”, and after that, a memorial service was held for the victims on Novi Sad's Strand beach near the memorial plaque.

In the course of this year's event "Ice Silence - Remembrance of the Victims of the Novi Sad Raid", among other things, tonight at 8:00 p.m. in the Serbian National Theatre there will be a performance by students and teachers of Laza Kostić Grammar School "The Unbaptized Days", and the next day a documentary exhibition “When the Law Was Silenced", will be opened in the Cultural Center of Novi Sad.

Novi Sad, 23rd January 2024