11 May 2008
Yad Vashem held the official ceremony marking the 63rd anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany on May 11,2008. The ceremony took place with the participation of Minister of Defense Ehud Barak.
Hundreds of Jewish World War II veterans of the Allied armies, the majority from the former Soviet Union, attended the ceremony, along with Jewish partisans, wounded soldiers from the war against the Nazis, underground fighters, volunteers from the Yishuv who fought in the British forces and veterans of the Jewish Brigade, as well as Ambassadors and military attachés - totaling some 1,000 people.
Speakers:
Joseph (Tommy) Lapid, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council
Roman Yagel, President of the Association of Wounded Soldiers and Partisans who Fought the Nazis
Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak
Minister Barak laid the Government of Israel wreath in memory of those who fell in the struggle against the Nazis. Other wreaths were laid by representatives of the IDF and the Jerusalem Municipality, ambassadors and military attachés of the Allied countries, as well as representatives of fighters and partisan organizations. The Israeli Police Orchestra performed at the ceremony with soloists, conducted by Sergeant Major Michael Gurevitch and singer Yevgeni Shapovalov. The event was moderated by Amikam Gurevitch.
