A moving ceremony took place Monday at Yad Vashem to mark the rededication of the towering 21-meter Pillar of Valor, which commemorates the bravery of those who fought against the Nazis. The event, held in advance of the upcoming Liberation and Rescue Day, was attended by leading rabbonim, government figures, diplomats, Holocaust survivors, and veterans.
The event began in the Yad Vashem shul and concluded at the foot of the monument. Among those present were Rav Yisrael Meir Lau, former Chief Rabbi and chairman of the Yad Vashem Council; Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan; Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov; MK Avigdor Lieberman; Alexander Gantsis, head of the Russian Jewish Congress; former IDF general Uzi Dayan; David Mordechayev, chairman of Liberation and Rescue Day and director of the STMEGI Foundation; Robert Abramov, director of STMEGI Israel; and prominent members of the Caucasus Jewish community.
In his emotional speech, Rav Lau said, “This monument that we are rededicating today immortalizes the courage of the fathers and mothers who saved their children during that dark era — prisoners in death camps who preserved their humanity and selflessly risked their lives to help their brethren.”
Rav Lau recalled his father, Rav Moshe Chaim Lau, who refused to abandon his kehillah even when he had the chance to flee. “My father could have escaped when we parted, and my mother, my brother, and I fled into hiding. But he stayed behind, declaring, ‘A rav is a father to his community, and a father does not abandon his children.’ And my mother, too, showed incredible courage. In one fateful moment, she lifted me and placed me in the men’s car. My father’s and mother’s heroism is memorialized here, along with all the sacred heroes,” he said.
Rav Lau praised philanthropist and Russian Jewish Congress Vice President Gabriel German Zakhareyev, the driving force behind Liberation and Rescue Day, for his dedication to establishing the day on the Hebrew calendar and embedding it in Jewish national memory through tefillah and thanksgiving around the globe.
“This initiative reflects a deep and essential truth,” Rav Lau said. “We must remember the agents of Hashem in defeating the Nazi beast — first and foremost Russia, which made the greatest sacrifices. Nearly a quarter-million Jewish soldiers in the Red Army gave their lives in that war. They did more for us than any other nation.”
Zakhareyev himself emphasized the moral and educational role of Liberation and Rescue Day, which commemorates the fall of the Third Reich on the Jewish calendar. “One of the fundamental aims of this day is to teach the eternal victory of good over evil, to defeat Nazism in memory and legacy, and to pass down from generation to generation the feelings of gratitude to Hashem and to His emissaries. It is about preserving the legacy of those who fought and fell and ensuring that we understand the difference between good and evil.”
“This Pillar of Valor is also a warning sign to the Jewish people,” he added. “Unfortunately, even after the horrific Holocaust, the dangers to our nation have not vanished. The moral boundaries between good and evil are once again blurred. Here, at Yad Vashem, at the foot of a monument honoring the courageous martyrs — against the backdrop of the eternal city, Yerushalayim — we must declare: the strength and unity of the Jewish people against its enemies must be everlasting. The words ‘Never Again’ must be more than symbolic.”
MK Avigdor Lieberman also addressed the crowd, stressing the importance of transmitting Jewish history from one generation to the next — from Yetzias Mitzrayim to the Holocaust, and now, he said, to October 7.
“Sadly, this year we add another chapter — October 7 and everything that followed. These events are always relevant, and what matters most is the unwavering determination of the Jewish people and our ability to rise again,” Lieberman said.
He shared a personal note: “My father served as a soldier in the Red Army. His recruitment story is a testament to the resilience of the Jewish people. That spirit — the refusal to surrender, the decision to remain proudly Jewish — is part of our national DNA. Every person here can share a personal story of valor, resolve, and the will to stay connected to our people and our heritage.”
Lieberman also thanked Zakhareyev for his unwavering commitment. “Your efforts to preserve and promote Jewish heritage wherever Jews live are a source of inspiration. All of us here are deeply grateful.”
Russian Ambassador Anatoly Viktorov noted in his remarks that “half of the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust were Soviet citizens.” He emphasized that Russia’s battle against the Nazis was not limited to defending its own people. “We fought and sacrificed for all of humanity,” he said, expressing confidence that the world will forever remember Russia’s role and that of the Red Army in defeating Nazi Germany.

{Matzav.com}