The Chairperson of the National Assembly, Tsetska Tsacheva, received the winning students in the competition for writing of essays on the theme: “The Rescue of Bulgarian Jews during the Second World War”. They will travel to Israel at the invitation of the Anti-Defamation League, the Israeli Knesset, the Yad Vashem Museum and the Patriarch of Jerusalem. They are to visit the Knesset (Parliament) of Israel and meet with the Chairperson, Joel Edelstein. Students from many cities of Bulgaria took part in the competition.

“As Bulgarians we may pride ourselves that thanks to the unity of the entire society we have been able to save the 50 000 Jews of Bulgaria, noted the Chairperson of the National Assembly. Tsetska Tsacheva underscored how important it is for young people to become familiar with the history of the annihilation of millions of Jews during the WWII and the contribution of Bulgaria in saving her Jews. She thanked the organizers of the competition for the idea to make the students reflect on and write down their thoughts about this page of history, based upon the events described in the book written by Mihael Bar-Zoar: “Out of Hitler’s Grasp”.

“The dynamic world we live in is often full of challenges, which set us one against the other simply because of our differences,” Tsetska Tsacheva noted. She underscored the ability to accept the other, who thinks differently, is the most democratic way of living together.  We have to know our history, our roots, to try to solve the problems of the present day and to object to every attempt for instigation of hatred of any sort,” she concluded.

Some of the students presented their views on the theme of the competition, agreeing that it is very important to preserve the tolerance, notable for the Bulgarian society, and to prevent it into transforming in indifference.  One student from the town of Karlovo noted that the rescue of Bulgarian Jews is an example of how one people, when united, may achieve a great deed.

The students visited the office of the Deputy Chairperson of the 25th National Assembly, Dimitar Peshev, the plenary hall and learned more facts about the history and the activities of the parliament.