08 May 2005
Tomorrow, May 9, 2005, there will be two ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the allied victory over Nazi Germany. At 11:00 in the presence of Minister of Defense Shaul Mofaz and the Minister of Immigrant Absorption Tzipi Livni MK, there will be a ceremony at Yad Vashem to mark the anniversary of the allied victory over Nazi Germany. The ceremony will be attended by hundreds of Jewish World War II veterans of the Allied armies - mostly from the former Soviet Union, along with Jewish partisans, wounded soldiers from the war against the Nazis, volunteers from the Yishuv who fought in the British forces and veterans of the Jewish Brigade.
Minister Mofaz will lay a wreath on behalf of the Israeli Government and present honorary medals to approximately 100 fighters and partisans. Wreaths will also be laid by the Minister of Absorption, a representative of the IDF, ambassadors and attachés of the Allied countries, and representatives of fighters and partisans organizations. The Israeli Police Orchestra will perform at the ceremony with soloists, conducted by Commander Menashe Lev-Ran.
The Ceremony will be at 11:00 at the Memorial to the Jewish Soldiers at Yad Vashem. Only press with valid 2005 GPO cards will be able to attend. Entry is at 10:30 upon coordination with the Media Relations Department.
To mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II , Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies, in conjunction with the Educating Ministry, is publishing a booklet about Jewish fighters in the Allied forces
Tomorrow, at 20:00, another State event marking 60 years since the victory over Nazi Germany will take place at the Armored Corps Memorial Complex, Latrun in the presense of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Over 9,000 people will attend the event, including war veterans from the Allied forces, partisans, Holocaust survivors, IDF soldiers, students, the Israeli diplomatic corps and participants of March of the Living. The event will be carried live on Israel Channel 1.
Minister of Finance Binyamin Netanyahu, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Moshe Ya’alon, former Minister of Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs Natan Sharansky, and fighter representative Avraham Cohen will take part in the ceremony. Performers will include Shlomit Aharon and Yevgeny Shapovalov, Boris Yuropov and Ludmilla Edelman, IDF bands, the Israel Police Orchestra conducted by Commander Menashe Lev Ran, the Youth Movement Choir, under the musical direction of Gilad Lerer and the “Zooz ‘n’ Dance” dance troupe.
The evening event at Latrun is open to journalists with valid 2005 GPO cards only. TV crews must coordinate with the Media Relations Department and cars must be clearly marked with the station’s name. All journalists must arrive at Latrun between 18:00 - 18:45. Warm clothing is recommended.
