Fury has erupted amongst US Jewish groups over a controversial memorial to Nazi collaborators.

The large stone cross memorial was erected three decades ago at St Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery in Elkins Park, Philadelphia.

It honours soldiers who fought in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, a group of Ukrainian military volunteers and conscripts from Nazi occupied Ukraine who fought for Germany in World War II.

The 14th Waffen Grenadier Division was formed in 1943 in an attempt to provide additional army recruits to help repel Soviet attacks but was later disbanded after surrendering to the Western Allies in May 1945. 

Some recruits joined under duress whilst others viewed partnering with Nazi Germany as a way to formally establish an independent Ukrainian state. Many of the former soldiers from the division were allowed to emigrate to the United States, settling in places such as Toronto and Philadelphia, which had become a centre for Ukrainian Catholicism.

It is understood the memorial was consecrated in the early 1990s and was commissioned by veterans’ groups to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the unit. The memorial features the lion and crown insignia of the SS.

However, the memorial only came to prominence earlier this year after a far-right Ukrainian politician posed in front of it. The photo was shared by Moss Robeson, who writes about Ukraine’s far-right.

In a statement, the American Jewish Committee, said: “We trust our Ukrainian friends and colleagues recognise that this cannot remain.

“We urge them to act in the same spirit that motivated Ukrainian President Zelensky to correct these historical myths at home and remove this memorial stone from our community.”

The organisation’s director Martha Bronstein, added: “We really do look forward to being partners and exploring how best they can condemn this and how they can remove this statue that is so painful to the Jewish community.”

The new OUN-B leader has finished his tour of the US in Philadelphia where he visited a 30 year old memorial to the 🇺🇦division of the Nazi Waffen-SS that has apparently flown under the radar since it was established in 1993 to mark the 50th anniversary of the “Galician Division.” pic.twitter.com/UMAiBtHUDV

— Moss Robeson 🇵🇸 (@mossrobeson__) May 8, 2023

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Jason Holtzman, a Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia official, was only just made aware of the memorial’s presence last week.

He said: “We don’t feel good that there is a memorial to any SS unit in our area.”

Andrew Goretsky, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said: “ADL Philadelphia rejects any memorialization of Nazi or Nazi-adjacent groups.

“We have no objection to the national symbol of Ukraine appearing on any monument; however, we do object to monuments dedicated to Waffen SS soldiers.”

The cemetery is owned by the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the primary church for the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.

The JC has contacted the archeparchy for comment. Spokeswoman Mariana Karapinka has previously declined to comment on the monument and referred to a historical document which argued the actions and legacy of the SS “continue to be debated by historians.”

It comes after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky condemned people who celebrated the SS unit during a 2021 parade in Kyiv.