American Jewish Committee of Philadelphia calling to remove Nazi memorial in Elkins Park cemetery

ELKINS PARK, Pa. (CBS) -- Philadelphia's Jewish community is calling for the removal of a monument dedicated to Ukrainian Nazi collaborators in an Elkins Park cemetery. The monument, which was erected 30 years ago, has received little attention until now.

Earlier this month, the American Jewish Committee of Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey condemned the monument at St. Mary's Ukrainian Cemetery on Cedar Road and emphasized the importance of confronting the "documented role" of Nazi collaborators and perpetrators in the murder of Jews.

"Thirty years ago a memorial was erected to a Ukrainian Waffen SS division that fought alongside the Nazis. We trust our Ukrainian friends and colleagues recognize that this cannot remain. We urge them to act in the same spirit that motivated Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to correct these historical myths at home and remove this memorial stone from our community," AJC Regional Director Marcia Bronstein said in a statement.   

The Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia decided Tuesday that the monument would be temporarily covered to prevent vandalism as it assesses concerns. 

The church's archbishop, Borys Gudziak, released the following statement in a Facebook post:

"Recently published articles about a thirty-year-old monument at St. Mary's cemetery in Elkins Park, PA have alarmed and hurt the Jewish community of Philadelphia. At the same time, they have evoked concern among the Ukrainians in the area. The pain in our communities reflects the tragic and traumatic history of the twentieth century – a century when millions were brutally slaughtered by totalitarian regimes. The Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia values its relationship with the Jewish community and intends to address the issues at hand with the depth and seriousness that they deserve. Therefore, we plan to engage in an open, scholarly, and compassionate dialogue with the organizations that have contacted us regarding this matter in order to find an acceptable solution."

The stone monument, in the shape of a cross, is engraved in both English and Ukrainian. The Ukrainian text translates to the following: "1st Ukrainian Division dedicated to fighters for Ukrainian freedom." The English text reads: "In memory of Ukrainian soldiers."

A photo of the monument can be seen in the post below:

The decision to cover the monument has been met with a backlash from supporters. Some Facebook users responded to the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia's post, calling the covering of the monument and push to remove it disrespectful to the Ukrainian soldiers it is dedicated to. 

"Covering it [is] an insult to these Ukrainians who fought the Russians in WWII, just as Ukrainians are doing now. The Division fought Russians, when the Germans wanted to send them to France they refused to go," said Facebook user Gene Branch.

Bronstein notes that the monument was erected around the time of the fall of Communism in Central and Eastern Europe. She describes that during this critical point in history when democratic governments were established, many failed to recognize their "Holocaust-era past." Bronstein calls the monument "one of the worst examples" of this that can be seen in the Philadelphia area.   

Leaders of the Ukrainian-American community and the AJC met on Sept. 8 to discuss the issue of the monument, and released a joint statement following the meeting.

"Both parties acknowledged concerns about the monument and agreed that we need unity, support of each other and to have an 'open, scholarly and compassionate dialogue,'" the joint statement read.

The statement also notes that the AJC and the Archeparchy will continue discussions with the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia on the matter.

"AJC has had a strong 30-year relationship with the Ukrainian community both locally, nationally and internationally... Both communities agreed that the bridge that was built is strong enough to bear the weight of any issue and will not divide us.  We reiterate: no genocide should be forgotten; no genocide should be allowed. Never again. We sincerely hope that the friendship and support that the Jewish and Ukrainian peoples have established since Ukraine regained its independence will only flourish and be stronger," said Bronstein. 

In:
• World War II
• Ukraine
• Elkins Park
• Montgomery County
• Nazi
• Philadelphia