Peres. 'Amazing and emotionally moving'
Photo: AP
Peres gets personal Shoah memento
Belarusian PM gives president document containing list of Nazi victims, including 22 of Peres' relatives
President Shimon Peres
received recently a special gift from Belarus' Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich, who arrived in Israel
on a private visit: A list of Jews executed by the Nazis in his childhood town of Valozhyn.
The list includes 22 of the president's paternal and maternal relatives, from the Persky and Meltzer families.
"It's amazing and emotionally moving at the same time," Peres said while reviewing the list. He immediately recognized the names, some of whom were his classmates.
The document describes how hundreds of Jews were assembled in huge pits they were forced to dig on their own – and were shot. The injured were buried alive.
In a separate incident, a synagogue was set on fire with 400 Jews inside, including the community rabbi, Zvi Meltzer, Peres' maternal grandfather.
The guest attached to the archival document a clay pot with land from Vishnive and several albums with pictures from Peres' childhood landscape.
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