Editor's note: An inaccurate reference to a German concentration camp in Poland has been corrected. We regret the error.

Last Sunday evening, 75-100 members of the Ann Arbor community gathered at Café Marie to celebrate a special anniversary.

As with many local celebrations, they reminisced with friends and family and enjoyed a lovely dinner. There were, however, at least two very unique aspects of this gathering: the event was entirely in Russian, and seven attendees received medals of service from the Russian Federation.

Jewish Family Services (JFS) of Ann Arbor organized the event to celebrate the 65th Anniversary of Victory Day, commemorating the allied victory over the Nazis in World War II on May 9, 1945. Victory Day is celebrated in countries of the former Soviet Union with huge military displays and veteran honors.

About 100 Russian-speaking clients of JFS who lived through this terrible period in the former Soviet Union now call America home. JFS, along with many other services, brings the local community together with special events such as the Victory Day celebration.

Although many of the spoken words were lost on this reporter, the emotion and community support was evident. Up to 24 million Soviet citizens were killed in the Great Patriotic War, as it is known in Russia, so almost every family was heavily impacted.

Seniors clapped heartily to familiar Russian folk songs, laughed at photos of their younger selves, and solemnly remembered the scenes of destruction. Poetry recited by grandchildren in their home language brought them to tears, as well as the last slide in the photo tribute: “We remember!” in both Russian and English.

The highlight of the event was a ceremonial presentation of medals from the Russian Federation to honor seven war veterans now living in the Ann Arbor community. Larry Hiss, a local philanthropic supporter who was liberated in 1945 from a Nazi concentration camp, presented the medals.

According to Nina Dmitrieva, JFS's new American program coordinator for older adults, people who served in the army during the war and worked in many supporting occupations are all considered veterans. The local recipients were honored for service in the following ways:

Abram Monastyrsky served as a sergeant at the war front. He has been awarded many orders and medals for his courage and devotion.

Raisa Levinskaya, a 91-year-old woman, lived in a ghetto in Belarus. She was taken to be executed along with her mother and hundreds of others. Levinskaya survived because her mother used her own dying body to protect her child. After that, the daughter joined the partisans and fought with the Soviet army. She was also awarded many orders and medals.

Anna Solovyova was a child during the siege in Leningrad and was given special recognition by the Russian government.

Lubov Solovyova, Nina Vassilieva, Moisey Leykin, and Elizaveta Labkovskaya worked in various plants and laboratories that supported the war effort.

In any language, the pride and support of this community came through that evening.