Events Archive
Book presentation: One-way Suitecase. 20 real stories from Ukrainian refugees during the first days of Russia’s invasion
September 21, 2022
One-way Suites. 20 real stories from Ukrainian refugees during the first days of Russia's invasion is the title of the book, which was presented at the National Museum of History of Moldova on September 21. The project was implemented by the Jewish organization "Agudat Israel", which accepted and housed more than 25,000 Ukrainian refugees of various nationalities during the first weeks of the war. The authors of the interview are journalists Yulia Semenova (Moldova) and Elena Zadorozhnaya (Germany). The book was translated into English by Natalia Alkhazova (Moldova). One of the authors of the idea of this publication, the deputy director of the organization "Agudat Israel" Mikhail Finkel: "We decided to publish the book in English especially for the Western reader. People who live far from hostilities, overseas, do not always understand that war is not only geopolitical, but also a human tragedy, destroyed lives, broken families. Thousands of refugees have passed through us, losing everything at once - their homes, their jobs, and sometimes even their loved ones. And dozens of volunteers from Moldova, Israel, Germany, who worked these days literally non-stop, accepted the plight of the refugees as their own, let their pain go through their hearts." Rabbi Pinchas Salzman, head of the "Agudat Yisrael" Jewish community, speaking at the presentation, talked about how he was able to reserve hotel rooms for refugees, organize meals and medical care, thanked the embassies of the State of Israel and other refugee-hosting countries for their understanding, responsiveness and cooperation. As the speakers at the presentation pointed out, the book "One-Way Suitcase" has become a document that preserves human tragedies and the importance of the assistance provided. The event was attended by members of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, members of the Cabinet of Ministers, ambassadors and representatives of the diplomatic corps from 10 countries, as well as heads of international organizations. Photo credit: Iosif Snegovik
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