On the eve of the glorious Victory Day celebration a meeting with the veterans of the Great Patriotic War took place in our family club and the veterans who are still with us came to it. As years go by, there are fewer eye witnesses of those tragic events that connect us to the distant 1940’s.

May 9… On this day we commemorate those, who participated in that terrible war, living and dead alike. They say that time heals even the most severe wounds, but some wounds remain open no matter how old they are.

"…on the 9th of May, Jewish people together with all the nations of the world celebrate the Victory over fascism. Six million of our fellow tribesmen were destroyed only because they were born Jews. But the Jews have contributed to the fight against fascism. Half a million of Soviet Jews participated in the war against fascists; 200 thousand of them died with weapons in their hands and demonstrated miracles of bravery and powers of endurance. Several hundred of Jewish soldiers were awarded a title of the Hero of the Soviet Union. The Victory Day for Jewish people is not just a defeat of Hitler’s brutal war machine, it is a Day of the protection of national dignity, a Day of the reunification of the nation ..." This was said in the address of the front-line veterans at the Association of Jewish communities of Kazakhstan.

All the participants of the meeting warmly congratulated our veterans Haunya Grinberg and Liudmila Pronyaeva, and the director of Hesed Elena Dmitrieva presented them with souvenirs. The meeting continued in the comfortable "family style", and at the feast table people celebrated WWII veterans in the club "Achdut" and sang along with the wartime songs which were performed by Mark Bernes, Leonid Utesov and the Ensemble of Song and Dance.

Ida Bukina