Germany Honors Leader of Belarus' Jewish Community

Leanid Levin, chairman of the Union of Belarusian Jewish Public Associations and Communities, has been awarded a state German prize, the Knight's Cross of Merits, in recognition for his contribution to the reconciliation between the Belarusian and German nations.

The awarding ceremony was held at the Minsk-based German embassy on Wednesday.

German Ambassador Gebhardt Weiss noted that Mr. Levin was a representative of the generation that had both the memory of Nazi crimes during WWII and a will to build a common future in Europe, according to the embassy's press office.

"Memory, mutual understanding and reconciliation also are reflected in Levin's works of art and architecture," the embassy said. "Many of his memorial complexes, including in Khatyn, Minsk and Volgograd, are a bright reminder of horrible events and people's sufferings, as well as a warning to the present generation."

The embassy said that Mr. Levin also had close ties with Germany and was a member of the guardian council of the Johannes Rau International Educational Center (IBB) in the Belarusian capital city. //BelaPAN