INSIDE: l Ukrainian American Veterans hold 66th convention – page 4 l Lemko organizations now led by new generation – page 8 l Little League Baseball championship in Ukraine – page 15 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXXI No. 45 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2013 $1/$2 in Ukraine Anti-Defamation League honors Sheptytsky for rescuing Jews by Alexander B. Kuzma NEW YORK – The Anti-Defamation League on October 31 honored Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, the leader of the Ukrainian Catholic Church from 1900 until his death in 1944, for his heroism in sheltering Jewish children and adults from the Holocaust. The ceremony took place dur- ing the ADL’s annual meeting, at a luncheon at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan. Abraham Foxman, the national director of the ADL post- humously awarded Metropolitan Sheptytsky the Jan Karski Courage to Care Award. Named after the Georgetown pro- fessor who was smuggled into a Nazi concentration camp to document the horrors of the Holocaust, the Jan Karski Award is bestowed on extraordinary individuals who risked their lives to save Jews from extermination. Before an audience of over 200 guests, Mr. Foxman spoke movingly about Metropolitan Sheptytsky’s defiance of the Nazi authorities, his pastoral letter titled “Thou shalt David Karp/ADL not kill” (“Ne Ubyi”) and his personal efforts to shelter At the Anti-Defamation League’s ceremony honoring Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky (from left) are: Abraham Jewish children in various monasteries and churches H. Foxman, ADL national director; Barry Curtiss-Lusher, ADL national chair; Bishop Paul Chomnycky of the throughout Western Ukraine during the German Ukrainian Catholic Church; Jerzy Weyman, grandnephew of the metropolitan; Rabbi Yaakov Dov Bleich, chief Occupation. rabbi of Kyiv and Ukraine; and Berel Rodal, director of the Ukrainian Jewish Encounter. “It is said that the metropolitan never turned away a Jew that turned to him for help,” said Mr. Foxman. He also In the audience were several Holocaust survivors who of Ukraine; and the Ukrainian Jewish Encounter, an inter- acknowledged the important contributions of other were saved through the efforts of the Catholic prelate. national campaign to promote interfaith dialogue between Catholics – monks, priests and laypersons – who provided Among them were Kurt Lewin and Dr. Leon Chameides, Ukrainians and Jews founded by James Temerty, a sanctuary for Jews at the request of the Metropolitan. sons of prominent rabbis in Lviv who have spent many Ukrainian Canadian business leader and president of The Jan Karski Award was presented to Prof. Jerzy years trying to win recognition for Metropolitan Northland Power, a leading utility company based in Weyman, a grandnephew of the metropolitan who traveled Sheptytsky’s heroism. Toronto. from Poland to accept the award on behalf of the The landmark event was made possible through the Sheptytsky family. joint efforts of the ADL; Ya’akov Dov Bleich, the chief rabbi (Continued on page 16) Party of Regions undermines EU association as decision looms Rather than work on a compromise, the Party of Regions which would set Ukraine on an extensive EU-integration parliamentary faction has avoided meetings and upped its program and prevent Ukraine’s membership in the antes, ignoring big concessions offered by the EU and Eurasian Union, set for launch in 2015. imprisoned former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, The Ukraine-EU agreement is scheduled to be signed on whose release is a requirement for the Ukraine-EU November 28-29 at the Eastern Partnership summit in Association Agreement. Vilnius. EU Association Agreements with Moldova and The Ukrainian government this week filed criminal com- Georgia are also scheduled to be initialed. plaints against Ms. Tymoshenko in American and Swiss Without signing the Ukraine agreement, the EU’s Eastern courts. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych Partnership program will be widely viewed as a failure after met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for five hours on Armenia (the fourth targeted country) agreed in early October 27 in the resort city of Sochi, reportedly to hear the September to join the Moscow-led Customs Union. Kremlin’s last-minute pitch for Kyiv to drop the EU. The main obstacle to the agreement remains the inability The government’s efforts to meet EU requirements last of the Yanukovych administration to reach a compromise week were so poor that some observers suspected Mr. with the EU to arrange for Ms. Tymoshenko’s release. Putin got his behind-the-scenes deal. Others expect the The EU offered a major concession on October 31 when Ukrainian president will wait until the very last minute to the diplomatic mission led by former European Parliament decide on his country’s geopolitical future. President Pat Cox and former Polish President Aleksander “Yanukovych has yet to make a final decision because he’s Vladyslav Musienko/UNIAN Kwasniewski announced it had dropped its demand for a afraid of everything,” said Petro Oleshchuk, a political science Party of Regions Parliamentary Faction Chair pardon for Ms. Tymoshenko and would accept as a solution Oleksandr Yefremov led his national deputies this week lecturer at Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. to the conflict a bill submitted by independent National in putting up obstacles in Parliament to the Ukraine-EU “He’s afraid of decisively rejecting the EU because that can Deputy Anzhelika Labunska, the Kommersant-Ukraine Association Agreement’s requirements. have unpredictable consequences. He’s afraid to join the newspaper reported on November 1. Customs Union since he doesn’t trust its leadership and The Labunska bill gives prisoners the right to seek medi- by Zenon Zawada knows they don’t trust him as well. He’s afraid of releasing cal treatment abroad if they spent at least a year of uninter- Tymoshenko since he considers her his biggest personal rupted treatment that didn’t result in a full recovery. Upon KYIV – With one week left before a historic decision by enemy since 2004. That’s why a decision isn’t being made ruling on a convict’s treatment abroad, the judge must also the European Union, the Ukrainian government has been and they’re dragging time. The president’s wavering is rule on whether to grant the convict freedom, which putting up hurdles to the final Association Agreement reflected in the Party of Regions position,” he explained. wouldn’t require overturning the conviction. Freedom could requirements instead of trying to meet them, allowing key The EU Foreign Affairs Council is scheduled to meet on be granted if a convict is determined to be in ill health. legislation to go unapproved with no parliamentary sessions November 18 in Brussels to decide on whether to extend scheduled for this week. the Ukrainian government an Association Agreement, (Continued on page 11) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2013 No. 45 ANALYSIS Draft EU summit text acknowledges Kravchuk on Ukraine ‘divorcing’ Russia serving their sentences outside of these insti- tutions, not only on the territories of their KYIV – Former Ukrainian President countries, but in case of need abroad,” she ‘aspirations’ of Eastern neighbors Leonid Kravchuk has called on Ukraine to said, citing as examples the practices of “divorce” Russia and “marry” the European states, but not necessarily when. European countries such as Norway, Poland by Rikard Jozwiak Union as soon as possible. He made this It is not likely the wording will change and Bulgaria. According to Ms. Karpachova, RFE/RL statement on the “Shuster Live” talk show dramatically, as some EU member states – during her work at the office of the on the Inter TV channel on November 1, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human A draft of the Vilnius summit declaration most notably, France – aren’t keen to offer according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Rights, she came to the conclusion that a per- seen by RFE/RL acknowledges the anything that would imply future member- Liberty. “If we fail in time to approach the son in a Ukrainian prison cannot get profes- European “aspirations” of its six Eastern ship. European Union, Russia will walk all over us, sional medical help. “Moreover, investigators Partnership countries, includes wording on There is also a paragraph in brackets and we cannot let that happen. …The sooner sometimes use the inability to get medical Belarusian civil society that Minsk wants to welcoming the signature of an Association we divorce Russia, the better for us.” At the care for pressure and obtaining necessary delete, and has left a blank space regarding Agreement together with a Deep and same time, he said, after the final choice of confessions” the she noted, according to European Union-Armenia relations. Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTA) Ukrainians in the interests of EU, the Russian November 4 news reports. (Ukrinform) The final text of the declaration is pact with Ukraine and the initialing of the Federation will leave our state alone. “When same agreement with Georgia and expected to be endorsed by the heads of Ukraine decides on its ‘chosen one’ – I am Moscow presses Kyiv on gas payments government of the EU member states – as Moldova. referring to the European Union – then well as officials from Armenia, Azerbaijan, The progress made in Association Russia will realize that there is no reason to MOSCOW – Russian Prime Minister Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine – at Agreement negotiations with Azerbaijan is hope that Ukraine will become its ‘wife,’ ” Mr. Dmitry Medvedev says Russia will ask the Eastern Partnership summit in the also welcomed, with Brussels indicating its Kravchuk summed up. (Ukrinform) Ukraine to start prepaying for natural-gas Lithuanian capital on November 28-29. readiness to commence talks on a DCFTA. supplies if Kyiv doesn’t settle its outstanding It should serve both as a template of No wording is ready yet for Armenia Karpachova on Tymoshenko case debts.