On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews, a memorial tree planting ceremony took place on March 7th, 2018, at the US National Arboretum in Washington, DC. The University Botanic Garden of the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” provided the oak seeds.
The Acting Director of the US National Arboretum Scott Aker opened the ceremony and shared his admiration about the idea of commemorating this historic event in such a remarkable way. He compared the oak tree, as a symbol of strength and endurance, with the courage and resistance of the Bulgarian people which led to the rescue of nearly 50,000 Jews.
Ambassador Tihomir Stoytchev spoke about the unique story of the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews. He highlighted the crucial role of the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Dimitar Peshev, Metropolitan Stefan of Sofia, Metropolitan Kirill of Plovdiv as well as the decisive actions of civil society. It was emphasized that the Bulgarian Jewish community was the only one in Europe which not only survived during World War II, but also increased in size. Regrettably, Bulgaria was unable to do the same for the Jewish people from Northern Greece and parts of Yugoslavia. A minute of silence was observed as a tribute to the victims of the Holocaust.
The event was attended by representatives of the American Jewish organizations, the diplomatic corps, the Bulgarian community and the Bulgarian Embassy in Washington.
