Zu Gast in Yad Vashem: 2015

This small scroll was written in one of the Jewish communities in the Habsburg Empire at the end of the 19th century, to be used by traveling Jewish merchants. The Torah scroll is now displayed alongside other Torah scrolls in the Synagogue Ark.

Dr. Jürgen Ruttgers met with the directors of Yad Vashem Divisions and visited the artifacts store, the Archives, and met with the Chairman of Yad Vashem - Mr. Avner Shalev, Director General of Yad Vashem Ms. Dorit Novak, and the Director of International Relations Division - Mr. Shaya Ben Yehuda. Dr. Jürgen Ruttgers is pictured here with the Director of the Yad Vashem Archives Dr. Haim Gertner.

During his visit, he toured the Archives Division with Director Dr. Haim Gertner (left), and visited the Artifacts Collection Department, the International School for Holocaust Studies and the temporary exhibition "Stars Without a Heaven: Children in the Holocaust." Dr. Rütgers also met with Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev, Director General Dorit Novak and International Relations Division Managing Director Shaya Ben Yehuda.

The event was held by the Zurich Jewish Community in cooperation with Swiss Government and Yad Vashem. 
Among the keynote speakers of the event were The President of the Swiss Confederation Ms.Simonetta Sommaruga, community leaders and rabbis. The event was accompanied by cantoral music, includeing the chief cantor of the IDF Shai Abramson, 

 

Pictured: Arik Rav-On Director of the German Speakers Desk Yad Vashem, the head of the Swiss Jewish Community Mr. Andre Bollag, and The President of the Swiss Confederation Ms. Simonetta Sommaruga.

The elections took place at the Cologne Municipal Hall in the presence of Dorit Novak, Yad Vashem Director General, who greeted and thanked the outgoing Chairperson Ms. Hildegard Müller and thanked her for her ongoing friendship and support.