Memory that demands the future: new Jewish projects around the genocide museum ‘Territory of Memory’ discussed in Odessa

In Odessa, they talk not only about the past but also about how to protect it

In Odessa, a meeting took place that is important not only for the Ukrainian Jewish community but also for everyone who understands the value of historical memory in our time. Pavel Kozlenko (ODESSA HOLOCAUST MUSEUM – Director) reported on April 7, 2026, that together with Alex Shmidt and Nicolai Railean, he presented the “Territory of Memory” genocide museum project to the head of AJT for Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Georgia, Kole Railean, as well as to the co-coordinator of AJT Ukraine, Konstantin Shevchenko.

The discussion was not about a formal visit for the sake of a photo and polite words. At the center of the discussion was the very essence of the museum’s work, its future, possible joint initiatives, and the role of Jewish organizations in preserving the memory of the tragedies of the 20th century, including the Holocaust in the former Romanian occupation zone during World War II.

For the Israeli audience, this news resonates particularly closely. Israel lives not only in the space of current security but also in the space of historical responsibility. That is why any real steps to preserve the memory of the Holocaust victims in Eastern Europe matter far beyond one country or one city.

Why the topic of the Romanian occupation zone is especially important

One of the directions of the “Territory of Memory” genocide museum’s work remains the preservation of the memory of the Holocaust victims in the Romanian occupation zone. This is a particularly sensitive and important topic because, in the mass international perception, the conversation about the Holocaust often boils down to the most well-known places of destruction, whereas the fate of Jews in Odessa, Transnistria, and other territories in southern Ukraine requires a separate, deep, and honest conversation.

Such projects help bring back to public consciousness not impersonal statistics but a specific human tragedy. Without this, any memory quickly turns into a museum formality that exists on paper but ceases to function in society.

Museum, youth, and the future of Jewish memory

Why the meeting with AJT might be more important than it seems

The special significance of this meeting is given by the participation of AJT — Active Jewish Teens. This is an international project that works in the field of informal education, youth leadership, and the preservation of Jewish traditions among teenagers and young people in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The very fact of such contact shows that the conversation was not only about the past but also about the future.

This is fundamentally important. The memory of the Holocaust cannot live only in academic research, archives, and commemorative dates. It must be passed on to the next generation through a living language, educational initiatives, youth projects, and modern formats of participation. Otherwise, the connection between history and the new Jewish youth will weaken.

In this sense, the meeting in Odessa looks like an attempt to connect two lines that should go together. On one side — serious research and memorial work of the museum. On the other — the Jewish youth environment, capable of ensuring that memory does not remain only a topic for specialists.

A personal conversation about the role of Jewish organizations

Pavel Kozlenko specifically noted that during the meeting, he expressed his personal position regarding the activities of Jewish organizations, their effectiveness, and future. This adds additional depth to the conversation. When it comes to memory, identity, and social responsibility, the question always arises not only about the mission but also about the real effectiveness of the structures that take the right to speak on behalf of the community or history.

For the Israeli reader, this is also an understandable topic. The question is not in the number of organizations and not in the loudness of names. The question is how capable they are of really working with youth, supporting cultural and historical continuity, creating joint projects, and not turning memory into a bureaucratic ritual.

Why such meetings are important for Israel as well

Israel traditionally remains the main global space of Jewish memory, but the memory of the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, and destroyed communities of Europe lives not only in Israel. It lives where there are places of shootings, archives, testimonies, surnames, ruined destinies, and people ready to continue this work despite time, war, and public fatigue.

NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency in this context draws attention: such meetings in Odessa are important not only as a local event of Jewish life in Ukraine. It is part of a broader struggle to ensure that the memory of the Holocaust victims does not dissolve in the general information noise, political conflicts, and generational change.

Pavel Kozlenko expressed special gratitude to Alex Shmidt, director of “Joint Ukraine,” for his attention to the work of the Odessa Holocaust Research Center. And this is also an important detail. Preserving memory requires not only the enthusiasm of individuals but also the attention of large Jewish structures, ready to see the value of such initiatives and support them not formally, but in essence.

If such conversations turn into joint projects, new educational programs, and sustainable cooperation, it means that memory in Odessa is not just being preserved. It is being passed on further — to those who will be responsible for it tomorrow.