At the end of January, the Consul General in New York participated in a series of events honoring the memory of Holocaust victims.

On January 26, the Bulgarian Consul General Angel Angelov, alongside Bulgaria’s Permanent Representative to the UN Lachezara Stoeva, and diplomats from over a dozen countries, attended a Holocaust commemoration at New York’s renowned Park East Synagogue. The event highlighted the vital role of diplomats who, during World War II, issued visas to Jewish refugees escaping Nazi persecution. Bulgarian consulates, in particular, played a significant role during this period, granting thousands of transit visas to Jews seeking passage through Bulgaria en route to historical Palestine. Many of these refugees continued their journey on Bulgarian ships.

Speeches at the memorial event were delivered by Rabbi Arthur Schneier (recipient of the Golden Branch from Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs), the Consul General of Israel and the Israel’s Permanent Representative to the UN, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Mission to the UN.

On January 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Consul General was invited to a memorial event at the American Jewish Committee headquarters. The discussions focused on historical aspects of the Holocaust, modern-day anti-Semitism, and the situation of hostages held by Hamas.

In a gesture of solidarity with the hostages, including the remaining Bulgarian citizen in captivity, and in tribute to Daniela Gilboa, a Bulgarian citizen recently released, the Consul General of Bulgaria wore a yellow ribbon alongside the Bulgarian flag on his lapel. The yellow ribbon has become a symbol of support for those still held hostage.