Screening of Black Raven in Jenkintown: Remembering the Holodomor and Its Lasting Impact
On November 16, St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Parish in Jenkintown, PA hosted a screening of the film Black Raven by Luba Keske. Metropolitan Borys Gudziak presided at the Sunday Divine Liturgy and a Panakhyda for the victims of the Holodomor. The film features haunting testimonies of eyewitnesses and survivors of the 1932–1933 Holodomor genocide. Filming took place in 2008. The project reflects 17 years of perseverance through numerous obstacles and setbacks. After a series of legal battles, Ms. Keske secured the right to use recorded interviews with individuals who are no longer alive, and together with young director George Wyhinny completed the film.
In his remarks before the screening, Metropolitan Borys Gudziak reflected on the enduring trauma of the Holodomor and its ongoing impact on Ukrainians. “Historical memory, education, scholarship, publications, as well as sociology and psychology show us that trauma passes from generation to generation. Just as our bodies remember trauma, so the body of a people carries reflexes of distrust and fear. As a nation, we put on masks, build façades, construct walls, and our relationships with others are filtered through them. The system systematically destroyed and killed millions, and this is why we hesitate to engage, why trust comes so hard,” he said.
The Metropolitan emphasized that the Holodomor is “a word of curse, a negation of God’s great blessing.” He added, “We must understand the deeper meaning of this trauma. It is not merely a memory of the past — it continues to shape Ukrainian society today.” He stressed that the tragedy of the Holodomor underscores the urgency of Ukraine’s victory in the current war, as the alternative would be yet another genocide.
About the Author:
Luba Ponyatyshyn Keske was born in a village near Terebovlia in Western Ukraine. In 1944, her family was forced to flee their homeland and found refuge in a displaced persons camp in Germany. In 1949, they emigrated to the United States. In the mid-1960s, the family moved to Los Angeles, where Luba married and raised two children with her husband Walter.
Despite holding a demanding position as Senior Vice President at MGM Studios, she remained deeply involved in the Ukrainian community. She has been a long-standing member of the Holodomor Committees of Los Angeles and Columbia, the Ukrainian Art Center, church and Kobzar choirs, the Ukrainian Cultural Center, the Board of Trustees of the Cultural Center, the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, and the Friends of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv. After Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine, Luba worked with these organizations to raise funds for humanitarian and military assistance.
