“1943: Persecution and protection. The fate of the Bulgarian Jews” – this is the title of an exhibition of documents, commemorating the 75^th anniversary of the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews. This isthe first time the Archives State Agency is presenting to the broad public documents illustrating stories, not generally known to the public – the stories of ordinary Bulgarians who rescued Jews and who have been honoured by Yad Vashem. There are 20 Bulgarians who have been honoured as righteous by the Israeli institute Yad Vashem, among them figures like Dimitar Peshev, Vice-President of the National Assembly, Patriarch Cyril and Exarch Stefan of Sofia. But there are also unknown names of ordinary people who have put their lives at risk to help others. Their contribution deserves to be remembered and their stories told. The exposition traces the persecution and the protection of the Bulgarian Jews during the Holocaust years. The exhibition also features a recent donation – the archives of one of the rescued Jews from Thessaloniki – Rafael Kamhi. A revolutionary from the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (VMRO), his archives were kept for 70 years by VMRO activist Natse Bobolev.

Photos: BGNES