HANOVER — Upper Valley residents are holding vigils to show their solidarity with Ukraine during the war with Russia.
In Hanover, there will be a “We Stand with Ukraine” vigil on the Dartmouth Green at 4 p.m. Friday.
“We want to show solidarity with the global effort, to show we stand with Ukraine,” said Judith Kaufman, a Cornish resident. The Dartmouth Ukrainian Student Association and the Hanover Friends Meeting are organizing the event with the help of local volunteers.
The crisis felt more personal for Kaufman after Russia bombed Babi Yar, the ravine where Nazis massacred 33,000 Jewish residents of Kiev in a 36-hour period 80 years ago.
At a reunion the day before, her family had shared pictures of their relatives killed at Babi Yar, including four children.
“It feels like they were killed twice,” Kaufman said.
The event will reinforce the international moral stand against the Russian invasion, she said. It coincides with international “Stand with Ukraine” peace protests. She hopes that the event will also motivate more people to donate to organizations helping Ukrainian refugees.
Last Friday, the Dartmouth Ukrainian Student Association held a protest on the Dartmouth Green. About 150 gathered in solidarity with Ukraine, The Dartmouth reported.
On Sunday, at sunset, there will also be a vigil for Ukraine on the Woodstock Green. A silent prayer will be held at 6 p.m., and the organizers ask that people bring candles. It will be Woodstock’s second vigil; last Sunday, residents gathered in a snowstorm as a woman read aloud a poem from a friend in Ukraine.
Claire Potter is a Report for America corps member. She can be reached at cpotter@vnews.com or 603-727- 3242.