Jonathan Wind

Rafalovka Memorial Book Jonathan Wind

This is the Memorial book for the towns of Old Rafalowka, New Rafalowka, Olizarka, Zoludzk and vicinity (Rafalovka, Ukraine).

The publication of this book is a special event for the people of these towns who survived the Holocaust, and especially for those who made it to Israel and established families and opened a new page in their lives. Publishing the book is not only an act of commemoration for those small but magnificent communities. It is the fulfillment of an obligation - an obligation to ourselves, our children and our grandchildren that they know their parents and grandparents and the place from where they came, and what happened to them during the Holocaust.

The completion of this book reminds me of the spiritual awakening that took place in our town when the writing of a Torah scroll was completed. Perhaps because those events were enveloped with gratitude, or perhaps because they meant fulfilling an important command.

The book contains personal and other stories and descriptions that relate to the people of the town and institutions, wonderful experiences from those bright days, experiences that shined light on the paths of our lives from childhood and accompanied us wherever we went. Side by side with these stories are stories of painful experiences and difficult events from the time of the Holocaust and the destruction. We must keep these descriptions and events in our mind and memory, and bequeath them to our children and our children's children.