In 2002, the Yad Vashem in Jerusalem officially recognized the significant contributions of two key leaders of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church during the Holocaust. The Metropolitan of Plovdiv Kiril and the Metropolitan of Sofia Stefan were honored as Righteous Gentiles for their crucial roles in rescuing Bulgarian Jews. As we mark the 80th anniversary of their courageous actions, along with those of other clergy and laity, it is essential to reflect on how their collective efforts thwarted the deportation and saved countless Jewish lives in Bulgaria.

This year, attention turns to the writings of Metropolitan Stefan, whose personal archives are being published for the first time. 

A panel of distinguished scholars will delve into the role and influence of the clergy, the Synod, and prominent figures within the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in the rescue mission. The panel comprises 

• Professor Roumiana Preshlenova, Director of the Institute for Balkan Studies with the Center of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; 
• Dr. Stamenka Antonova, a historian at the same institute; 
• Professor Joseph Benatov, Associate Director of the Jewish Studies Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Pennsylvania.