The President of the Jewish Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Jakob Finci, delivered a speech in Sarajevo on the occasion of marking the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust, and among other things, he also addressed the statements of Milorad Dodik regarding the transfer of the Sarajevo Haggadah to Israel.
Reflecting on the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust, Finci recalled that during the period of the Second World War, 9.500 Jews perished in Sarajevo.
“We have reason to remember because one-third of the Jewish population perished in that event. If we know that we have lived in Sarajevo since 1565 and that in 1941 there were 12.000 Jews living in Sarajevo, of whom 9.500 perished, that is a sufficient number to show how cruel the Holocaust was and that it spared no one,” Finci said.
He also emphasized that Jews cannot forget everything that the citizens of Sarajevo, as well as other parts of BiH, did for them during that dark period.
“Human beings are created to be able to survive even in the most difficult conditions. Living together with others in very good relations, there was always someone who was ready to help. The title of Righteous Among the Nations has been awarded to 50 people from BiH. We cannot forget Dervis Korkut and his courage to save the Sarajevo Haggadah in 1941, which is still in Sarajevo today and will remain here forever, because it was named after this city,” Finci said.
Finally, he also commented on the statements of Milorad Dodik about relocating the Haggadah to Israel.
“The Sarajevo Haggadah has never left Sarajevo. It went to Zagreb for one day for an exhibition and returned the same day. I doubt that the Haggadah will leave Sarajevo during his lifetime,” Finci concluded.
