KIEV, Ukraine (JTA) — Ukrainian Jewish community leaders and Jews in the arts received state honors.
Mikhail Chasnytzky, a member of the board of the Jewish Council of Ukraine and Mark Taliansky, director general of the All-Ukrainian Jewish Congress, were awarded the Order of Merit of the third grade, and Boris Gelman, deputy chairman of Sevastopol Jewish community, was presented with the title Honored Worker of Culture of Ukraine, on Friday according to a decree signed by Ukrainian President Victor Yuschenko.
The decree recognized Chasnytzky, Taliansky and Gelman for their “prominent personal contribution to social, economic and cultural development of Ukraine, considerable achievements in work, and long-term labor.”
Yuschenko presented Vladimir Galperin, director of the Kharkov Regional Center of Folk Art, with the title Honored Worker of Culture of Ukraine and Nikolay Berson, director of the Nikolayev Academic Ukrainian Theater of Drama and Musical Comedy, the Order of Merit of the second grade for their “prominent personal contribution to the development of national culture, considerable creative achievements and high level of professionalism.”
They were among a group of Ukrainians to receive national honors Friday.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.