EAJC Update   February 2003

 

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress




Inauguration of the World Congress of Mountain Jews (WCMJ) / Participation of the EAJC
Israel, February 5-6, 2003

Visit of Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Leadership delegation to Kazakhstan / Cooperation with the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC),

Launch of President Noursultan Nazarbaev’s book “Critical Decade”  Participation of EAJC delegation

International Conference for Peace and Harmony  Participation of EAJC delegation, 

Meetings with Moslem clergy of Kazakhstan and Central Asia

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Inauguration of the World Congress of Mountain Jews (WCMJ) / Participation of the EAJC
Israel, February 5-6, 2003

On February 5-6, 2003, the World Congress of Mountain Jews (WCMJ) was inaugurated at a meeting in Israel. The founding bodies of the WCMJ included the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), the Federation of Jewish Organizations and Communities – the Vaad of Russia, the Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations and Associations in Russia (KEROOR), the Russian Fund for Preservation and Development of Jewish Culture, the Association of Caucasian Jews in Israel, the Moscow Jewish Religious Community (MJRC), the Moscow Community of Mountain Jews "Beit Talhum", as well as representatives of communities of mountain Jews of Pyatigorsk, Nalchik and Derbent (Russia), Baku and Kuba (Azerbaijan), New York (USA) and Toronto (Canada).

The events marking the founding of the WCMJ began in the town of Tirat Karmel, where, commencing with a blessing by the Chief Rabbi of Israel Bakshi-Doron., the "Beit Talhum" synagogue of mountain Jews was officially opened.

This was followed, in Tel Aviv, by the first Congress of the WCMJ, at which the founding organizations were supplemented by delegates from a wide range of countries such as Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the USA, Israel, Germany, Austria and Canada.

The Congress, by formal resolution, established the WCMJ, ratified its Charter, elected its executive and committees and adopted a series of Congress resolutions.

Formal messages welcoming the establishment of the WCMJ were received by the first Congress from the President of Israel Moshe Katsav, the Prime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon, the EAJC President Alexander Machkevich and the Secretary General of the EAJC Michael Chlenov and the leaders of a number of other international and national Jewish organizations and communities. The greetings of the EAJC leaders to the 1st Congress of the WCMJ were conveyed by Roman Spektor, Vaad of Russia vice-president. The message from The EAJC follows:

GREETINGS FROM THE Euro-Asian JEWISH CONGRESS
TO THE INAUGURAL WORLD CONGRESS OF MOUNTAIN JEWS

Ladies and Gentlemen:

On behalf of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), representing the Jews of three continents, we are sincerely happy to welcome the World Congress of Mountain Jews and to participate in its establishment.

It is especially pleasing for us to note that among the founders of your Congress, alongside with the EAJC, there are two large and significant organizations in its Russian component: the Federation of the Jewish Organizations and Communities – the Vaad of Russia and the Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations and Unions in Russia (KEROOR), as well as the communities of Mountain Jews of Azerbaijan which are part of the EAJC. 

We are confident that the founders of this new congress of Jews of the Euro-Asian region have been guided by history. The Mountain Jews were one of the first groups to establish Jewish communities on the territory of the former USSR. On "the Jewish street" of Eurasia, mountain communities have been distinguished due to their unique culture and zealous following of tradition. They should be sincerely proud, as we are, of the fact that, despite decades of imposed atheism, they have maintained observance to the precepts of the Torah.

This World Congress is being created as today the Mountain Jews live in a number of countries. Many of them have bravely served, with other Israelis, in the front line of the struggle against Palestinian terrorism. Others participate in the construction of new communities of the Russian-speaking Jewish Diaspora. Such communities and new Diasporas of the Mountain Jews are to be found right across the territory where the EAJC operates  from Australia in the east to Moldova in the west. For this reason the EAJC has decided to become one of the founders of the World Congress, ensuring the Mountain Jews of the Eurasian region are adequately represented.

We believe this decision will also become an important step towards overcoming estrangement between various subgroups of Jewish people. We are convinced that only our cooperation can bring an end to unproductive and unnecessary internal antagonisms. We are convinced that, working together, we will be capable of acting in a spirit of Jewish unity.

Dialogue with Islam is one of the EAJC’s core programs. The thousand-year history of the Jews of Northern Caucasus and Azerbaijan shows an impressive example of longstanding harmony with local Moslems. While there are some who will argue that the Arab-Israeli conflict has at its source irreconcilable religious issues, the Moslems and the Mountain Jews of the Caucasus live in peace and harmony. We shall cooperate in every possible way with the World Congress of Mountain Jews not only to strengthen this relationship, but to use it as the base for extending a Jewish hand of friendship.

We are establishing this Congress in order to work together for the unity of the Jewish people and for peace on the planet. Our organizations are drawn together by our shared love for Israel, whose successes are so important to the future security of the Jewish Diaspora. 

On behalf of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress we wish the World Congress of Mountain Jews and its participants long years of life, success in all their endeavours, well-being and prosperity.



Alexander Machkevich, President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC)
Michael Chlenov, Secretary General of the EAJC, President of the Vaad of Russia

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Visit of Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Leadership delegation to Kazakhstan / Cooperation with the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC),

Launch of President Noursultan Nazarbaev’s book “Critical Decade”  Participation of EAJC delegation

International Conference for Peace and Harmony  Participation of EAJC delegation, 

Meetings with Moslem clergy of Kazakhstan and Central Asia, 

Meetings of Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Leaders in Kazakhstan with EAJC leaders, Kazakhstan, Almaty, February, 14-16, 2003.

A series of official events of international significance, with the objective of developing interaction of East with West, rapprochement between various parts of the world Jewish community and strengthening the global Jewish-Islamic dialogue, were held from February 12 to 16, 2003, in the city of Almaty in southern Kazakhstan.

The international Conference for Peace and Harmony (an intergovernmental summit of Central-Asian states), an initiative of President Noursultan Nazarbaev of Kazakhstan, who led the Kazakhstan delegation, was held in Almaty on February 13, 2003. The Conference also involved official delegations from Kyrgyzstan led by President Askar Akaev, from Tajikistan led by President Emomali Rahmonov, and from Azerbaijan, Afghanistan and Turkey, led by their Ministers for Foreign Affairs. 

Other Conference attendees included a number of heads of Jewish organizations and communities, members of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), led by Alexander Machkevich, Michael Chlenov and Josef Zissels, and leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (Conference of Presidents) led by Mortimer Zuckerman and Malcolm Hoenlein. Major international Jewish organizations which also participated in the Conference included the World Jewish Congress (WJC), represented by its Secretary General Avi Beker, the National Conference for Soviet Jewry (NCSJ)*, represented by its Executive Director Mark Levin, and the American Jewish Committee (AJC) represented by its Director of International Relations, Andrew Baker. The Ambassador of Israel to Kazakhstan was amongst diplomats who, with the delegations and a sizable media contingent, journalists filled the auditorium to capacity.

The Conference for Peace and Harmony was preceded, on February 12, 2003, by the official launch of President Nazarbaev’s new book "Critical Decade", in which the author presents a considered and thought-provoking analysis of mankind’s major challenges and threats at the beginning of the 21st century.

In the chapter "No Extremism in Religion", the author focuses his attention on questions of interfaith relations. He analyzes the consequences of the globalization, which is impacting on ethnic, cultural and national distinctiveness in the modern world. In the opinion of the author, religion has become a key factor in the preservation of ethnic and cultural identity.

The President of Kazakhstan rejects the concept of a global "Islamic threat". In his opinion, true Islam has nothing in common with the theology of those who purport to be Muslims but promote extremist and terrorist activity.

Opening the First Conference for Peace and Harmony, President Nazarbaev personally read a greeting from George Bush, President of the United States of America, emphasizing that the International Conference for Peace and Harmony was staged on the territory of Kazakhstan because that Republic is becoming a place for positive interaction of the great civilizations.

The ancient Land of Kazakhstan was the final haven of the Islamic thinker and educator Hodja Ahmet Yassawi. In Almaty, the grave of the father of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe is a place of pilgrimage for Chassidic Jews. The city of Karaganda hosts the relics of one of Russian Orthodox saint Father Sebastian. According to legend, Zarathustra began his terrestrial journey in the foothills of the Kazakhstan Altai. Remains of ancient Buddhist monasteries can be found along the Irtysh River.

Today, President Nazarbaev said, Kazakhstan’s population is drawn from more than 120 ethnic groups and 40 faiths. During the years of Independence, peaceful conditions for coexistence and dialogue between religions have been created in the country.

Kazakhstan is widely considered an ideal place for the exchange of ideas and promotion of dialogue. The President proposed, at the end of his speech, a Congress of World Religions be held in his homeland.

Heads of the visiting delegations and representatives of the Jewish organizations spoke following president Nazarbaev’s address. 

Conference greetings were delivered on behalf of Prime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon and from President of the Ukraine Leonid Kuchma.

Conference participants created the Forum for Peace and Stability, which was proclaimed in the Declaration under the same title (see Appendix). 

A reception with a banquet and a concert brought the conference to a close.

President Nazarbaev then convened a bilateral meeting with leading figures in World Jewry. The American component included Mortimer Zuckerman, Malcolm Hoenlein, Senator Rudy Boschwitz, the presidents and senior executives of the constituents of the Conference of Presidents, World Jewish Congress Secretary General Avi Beker and Rabbi Andrew Baker representing the American Jewish Committee, National Conference for Soviet Jewry Executive Director Mark Levin. The Euro-Asian and Pacific leaders included Alexander Machkevich of Kazakhstan, M. Bezelyansky, Michael Chlenov and V. Kantor of Russia, Evgeny Chervonenko and Josef Zisels of the Ukraine, Jeremy Jones of Australia, David Zwartz of New Zealand, Daniel Turk of Japan and the national presidents of Jewish communities from a number of other states.

The next major event was a joint meeting of the American Jewish leaders and the EAJC representatives with Moslem leaders from Kazakhstan and Central Asia. One result of the meeting was the adoption of a Joint Communiqué, in which participants confirmed the principles incorporated in the Joint Memorandum by Jewish and Moslem leaders which had been adopted by the Council of Rabbis of the EAJC and the Spiritual Board of Moslems of Kazakhstan (SBMK) in Almaty on October, 21, 2002 (see Appendix).

The day concluded with spirited meetings with Kazakhstan’s Minister of Power and Natural Resources Vladimir Shkolnik and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kasymzhomart Tokaev, which provided additional substance to the relationship between the delegates and the country, which held the First Conference for Peace and the Harmony.

From February 14 to February, 16 a series of events were held in Almaty involving the Conference of Presidents and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.

These began with a presentation by representatives of USA oil companies in Kazakhstan, including Chevron/Texaco and Exxon, who told participants about the prospects facing the oil industry in Kazakhstan.

Asher Ostrin then gave a presentation of the activities of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (“The Joint") on the territory of the former USSR, after which the overseas visitors toured Jewish institutions in Almaty. The presentation of a Torah scroll, donated by the American delegation to the Jewish community of Kazakhstan, was then celebrated in festive style in Beit Rachel synagogue (which is named in memory of Alexander Machkevich’s mother).

The EAJC and the Conference of Presidents celebrated Shabbat together, with religious services and meals, which provided a wonderful opportunity for conversation and exchange of ideas. Over Shabbat, three sessions of the dialogue of the American and Euro-Asian contingents took place.

After the Friday night meal, Alexander Machkevich opened proceedings (See Appendix). Presentations followed from Mort Zuckerman, Chairman of the Conference of Presidents, Avi Beker, Secretary General of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) and Marc Levin, Executive Director of the National Conference for Soviet Jews (NCSJ). The Ambassador of Israel in Kazakhstan Moshe Kimche and the representative of the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, Dan Meiri also contributed to the discussion.

On the next day, the baton of the dialogue was picked up by Michael Chlenov, the EAJC Secretary General, and other participants: Rabbi Pinchas Goldshmidt, Secretary General of the EAJC Council of Rabbis, and Rudy Boshowitz, US Senator. The main topics canvassed were international perceptions of Israel, and the mutual relations between Israel and Kazakhstan, and Israel and the Central Asian region as a whole. This was followed by open-ended discussions between representatives of the Euro-Asian and Pacific communities with American delegates.

The EAJC General Council Chairman Josef Zissels chaired a working session of the EAJC General Council, in which the participants praised the organizers of the events in Almaty and discussed priorities for future EAJC activities. The Council accepted new members into their organization, these being the New Zealand Jewish Council, represented by its president, David Zwartz, the “Makkabee” movement, represented by V.Polyansky, and the World Congress of Mountain Jews, represented by Z.Gilalov.

A festive concert and a daytrip to the mountains, which are on the outskirts of Almaty concluded the varied and constructive mission.

R. Spektor,

Head of the EAJC Public Relations and Media Department

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* The EAJC Public Relations and Media Department offers its apologies to the National Conference for Soviet Jews (NCSJ) and personally to its Executive Director M. Levin, for omitting from an earlier release reference the key role of the NCSJ and Marc Levin in assisting the EAJC delegation to the USA in February 2003.

Appendix:

“Toward Peace and Stability”

Declaration of Participants of International Conference on Peace and Accord

We, the participants of the international conference on Peace and Accord, held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, 13 February 2003 (list of participants attached hereto),

Confirming our resolve to guarantee all conditions for the peaceful coexistence and cooperation at regional and global levels;

Filled with certainty that peace, safety and development complement, support and strengthen one another;

Supporting the efforts of the United Nations and other international and regional organizations, as well as individual countries in advancing the ideas of a dialogue of civilizations;

Emphasizing, that this conference is a chief component of the global process of the development of dialogue of civilizations and represents a continuation of the corresponding initiatives of international and regional organizations, as well as individual countries;

Affirming adherence to the principles of the Millennium Declaration of the United Nations regarding the necessity for collective responsibility in upholding the principles of human dignity, justice and equality on a global level;

Emphasizing the importance of realizing the principles enunciated in the Millennium Declaration of the United Nations of freedom, equality, solidarity and tolerance;

Recognizing the right of every individual to freely follow his or her religious convictions and highly valuing the contribution, made by religious leaders for the cause of supporting peace and stability;

Rejecting the use of religion by terrorist and separatist movements and groups as a pretext for achieving their aims;

Pledging to work together in the name of peace and safety in the world and in the region;

Announce the following:

The world at the beginning of the 21st century is dynamic and diverse. This is a world of globalization and unprecedented possibilities for development. But progress and backwardness, abundance and poverty coexist; the level of uncertainty and risk is high. The peoples of the world have encountered great and profound challenges to their safety. New enemies—terrorism, extremism and illegal trafficking in drugs and arms—threaten the stability of the world order. Intergovernmental conflicts, sometimes turning into military operations or protracted forms of armed opposition, continue in the world.

The outbursts of violence in different regions of the world compel many people to speak about the “conflict of civilizations,” in which the world is divided into opposing cultures, ideologies and religious views.

The time has come to think about this dangerous situation, capable of leading to systemic consequences. The world has never been more interdependent, vulnerable and unequal.

Political and religious leaders of the whole world need to support the growing consensus, directed at a rejection of the practice of theological arguments, hostility toward different points of view and accusations against other religions.

Terrorism and extremism have nothing in common with the great Islamic civilization, which has brought the world eternal values of good and high morality. Islam, like other world moral teachings, views human life as the greatest value and a divine gift, the violent taking of which is considered to be the greatest crime.

We unequivocally and unambiguously condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, as well as announce our resolve to work together in both a bilateral and multilateral basis in the struggle against terrorism.

We emphasize that the greatest scholars and philosophers of humanity imagined for themselves a future civilization as a symphony of peoples and cultures. Precisely the existence of different civilizations is one of the most important conditions for the development of the world and its mutual enrichment.

We see the basis for a dialogue of civilizations in the values and shared views, common to all religions, on questions of good and evil, justice and equality of peoples. This allows our people to lay the foundation stone for a more solid and just world in the new, third millennium.

The time has come today, and all objective conditions exist for initiating a dialogue of religions. Religions must become a binding element in the dialogue of civilizations.

The potential of humanistic ideas and universal ethical principles of every civilization still needs to be carried out. A dialogue between them is possible in the case of unconditional respect and realization of the fundamental values of human existence, common to all: rights and dignity of every individual, collective responsibility for the fates of future generations, equality, justice and tolerance in relations within and among cultural communities.

It is clear that today the questions of peace and safety are inseparable from the questions of human dignity and basic human rights. The time for joint work on drawing up agreements aimed at safeguarding peace and harmony among peoples, and guaranteeing transparency and predictability in all levels of public and international life, has come.

Peace and prosperity of people is the final goal for all religions and cultures of the world. With the aim of guaranteeing the achievement of this goal, we announce the establishment of a “Forum of Peace and Stability,” the basic task of which we see as developing dialogue among nations, religions and civilizations. We appeal to all countries to join this initiative.


JOINT COMMUNIQUÉ
Of The Central Asian Countries’ Muslim Clerical Leaders
And The Representatives of Jewish Public Organizations
In the USA And The Eurasian Region

This historic meeting was conducted in Almaty, Kazakhstan on February 14, 2003, as a part of the International Conference for Peace and Accord. Muslim clerical leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and the leaders of Jewish communities of Kazakhstan, the USA, and Russia were Parties at this meeting. Other Parties who attended this meeting included leaders from the Ukraine, Australia, Byelorussia, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, New Zealand, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Armenia and they also participated in the Conference for Peace and Accord.

The Parties agreed once again and reconfirmed the conclusions reached and contained in the Joint Memorandum of Jewish and Muslim leaders in Almaty, Kazakhstan on the 21st of October, 2002, including the conclusion that the followers of both religions consider each other as partners on a joint search for a common spiritual basis in our present day world that is full of contradictions. The dialogue the Parties began in October 2002 was continued here, is ongoing and acquired here a new level of understanding within the framework of the unified Abrahamic perception of the world. 

The Parties welcomed and agreed with the outcomes of the International Conference for Peace and Accord and they approved the “Declaration of Peace and Stability” that was adopted by that Conference. This Declaration created a new and unique dialogue structured in the form of the Forum for Peace and Stability. This new Forum is a significant step forward in the development of the interaction between civilizations and cultures.

United by the rejection of evil in today’s world; such evil is displayed in the phenomena of terrorism, extremism, aggressive separatism, illegal traffic of drugs, guns and people, illegal migration and organized crime, the Muslim Clerical Leaders of the Central Asian countries and the Representatives of Jewish communities expressed their willingness to participate in the work of the new Forum and to promote harmony between two great confessions.


WELCOMING SPEECH OF MR. A. MACHKEVICH IN ALMATY

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen

It is my pleasure to greet the American Jewry leaders on behalf of the Eurasian Jewish Congress. I am particularly glad to note that we have met with many of our today’s guests before  at the recent Eurasian Jewish Congress presentation in the USA. And today, we have a good opportunity to welcome envoys of the Great Power, who are here on their return visit.

It is also a joy for us to welcome the delegation from the State of Israel, a state, which is bravely defending the sacred shrines of the Jewish People, and the Eurasian Jewish Congress leaders from the Eurasian countries and also leaders from the Pacific region, who represent our Congress where the sun never goes down. And, of course, my special greeting is to my fellow countrymen, who are activists of the Jewish Community of Kazakhstan.

Now that Jews from all over the world have come to Almaty, we can say that our today’s meeting is of global nature indeed. I consider it an honor that our meeting has actually been included into the Program of the International Conference of Peace and Accord, which started yesterday in the Southern Capital of Kazakhstan. And this is an important fact I would like to emphasize.

Kazakhstan was the first Muslim country to have called people to a serious dialogue between Judaism and Islam on an intergovernmental basis. It is owing to the good will of the Kazakhstan people and the firm position taken by President Nursultan Nazarbaev, that the Jewish community in Kazakhstan can develop freely and dynamically. Jewish communities live in a peaceful, tolerant and stable environment both in Kazakhstan and the Central Asia, as a whole. It should be noted that official delegations from Turkey, Azerbaijan and Afghanistan, countries, which are friendly to us, have also joined their colleagues from Central Asian countries to visit this Summit.

The Agenda of the International Conference of Peace and Accord reflects expectations and hopes of the Jewish People. Many of those present here are activists of authority of this interstate forum. I trust, the experience our ancestry have gained over many thousand years of their history will help us find a way out of the current situation in the world, which would be acceptable to all concerned parties.

Since old times, the Jewish and Muslim traditions have rejected terror as a means of settling disputes. The developments of the last years urge us to come back to our ancient covenants. These underlie the decisions adopted by the International Conference of Peace and Accord and the reasons why we have organized this meeting. We wish the efforts made by our allies across the Atlantic to control terrorism were a success. However, to overcome the old enemy we have to strengthen neighborly interrelations between all Antiterrorist Coalition nations irrespective of their religions.

Being a citizen of Kazakhstan, who has lived his all life in this country, I am extremely proud of the strive for the dialogue with the Jewish world demonstrated by the Muslim clergy of Kazakhstan. The Joint Memorandum signed mostly owing to the efforts taken by the Religious Administration of the Muslims of Kazakhstan in Almaty jointly with the Eurasian Jewish Congress discountenanced terrorism and emphasized the fact that there are no principal contradictions between Judaism and Islam.

I call the Jewish world to support this noble initiative and recruit more participants to joint it. I also call the Jewish Diaspora to support further development of Israeli – Kazakhstan neighborly relations, as well as relations with other countries of this region. Let the words "Kazakhstan is a neighbor of the Jewish State" said by President Nursultan Nazarbaev during his meeting with the EAJC delegation be a reference checkpoint for our future work in this direction.

Dear participants and guests, it is obvious we now face a lot of challenges we have and will try to address today. And I trust that joint efforts of Jews who represent four continents will bear positive results within the nearest future.


Seminar: "Tolerance  Lessons of the Holocaust"
Kazakhstan, Almaty, February 710, 2003
Eurasian Jewish Leadership Gathering
Kazakhstan, Almaty, February 1416, 2003

On February 710, 2003, on the eve of the First International Conference for Peace and Harmony, in the city of Almaty (Kazakhstan) the International Teaching Methods Workshop "Tolerance  Lessons of the Holocaust", for teachers of history from countries of the Central Asia, was convened by the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), the "Mitsva" Association of the Jewish Organizations of Kazakhstan and the Ukrainian Center for the Study of the History of the Holocaust.

More than 60 participants from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Russia took part in the workshop. Kazakhstan was the best represented, with teachers from 16 of its. Teachers represented fifteen ethnic groups from comprehensive and grammar schools, educationalists, editors of scientific and methodological journals, teachers from national Sunday schools and activists from national cultural societies. Religions represented were Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and a number of Christian denominations.

The workshop was divided into four thematic blocks, under the supervision of experts from Kiev:

 Philosophical, studying notions of tolerance, xenophobia and psychological and moral sources of interethnic conflicts (Tatyana Chayka);

 Historical, devoted to the preconditions of the Holocaust, Nazism and Fascism, and to interethnic relations in that period (Anatoly Podolsky);

 Methodical, acquainting the participants with the experiences of Ukrainian, Russian, Armenian and Georgian teachers involved in the program "Tolerance  Lessons of the Holocaust", surveying various styles and methods of teaching the subject, as well as with the reception of the subject by different audiences (Svetlana Kandeeva);

 Humanitarian, which presented the problems of consolidating the Kazakhstan’s polyethnic society, the history of the Jews of Kazakhstan, antisemitic campaigns during the Stalinist epoch in Kazakhstan, and the multicultural societies of Central Asia (Zhulduzbek Abylkhozhin, Isaak Grinberg, Leonid Gurevich, Anna Sailyants).

The central event of the workshop was a Round Table discussion: "Community Relations in Central Asia: the challenge of interethnic harmony and the tasks for the Modern Teacher.

The session involved a stimulating dialogue with a productive exchange of opinions on the imperative of studying the problems of interethnic relations and on he value of education towards tolerance as a means of preventing xenophobia.

One of the main outcomes of the Round Table, which had a significant impact on all those present, was a better understanding of the importance positive self-identification and respect for tradition, history and culture of other peoples.

Subsequently, methodological colloquium for regional coordinators was held with the purpose of the development of further strategies for implementing the project in the regions of Central Asia.

Related to the First International Conference for Peace and Harmony, organized cooperatively by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), was the "Euro-Asian Jewish leadership gathering". During a busy program, representatives of American and Euro-Asian Jewry visited "Mitsva", the Association of the Jewish National Organizations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Hesed "Polina" and the Jewish communal center "Rimon".

President of the "Mitsva" Association, Alexander Baron, and the Director of Hesed "Polina", Natalia Dorman, acquainted the visitors with the programs undertaken by those organizations. The heads and staff of "Mazl Tov", "Daytime Center", "Home Attendance", "Moked laKeshish" and other programs briefed their international guests on their work.

Today there are 12 Heseds in Kazakhstan, serviced by 400 volunteers and more than 300 professional staff. The number and quality of volunteers is the most valuable resource of the Jewish community of Kazakhstan.

The Jewish communal center "Rimon" provided a briefing for the international visitors on its core activities, teaching Jewish traditions and history, the Torah, Hebrew and Yiddish. Through musical, female and family activities, the programs of JCC "Rimon" reach a wide and appreciative clientele.

The “Rimon” presentation concluded with the visitors being offered the opportunity to plant seeds of pomegranate in a pot. As a farewell gift of the Jewish community of Almaty to their overseas visitors, «Rimon» members staged a delightful concert.

The director of the Russian Department of the American Jewish Distributive Committee wrote "We were impressed with your work and we were satisfied by the time we spent with you. We would like to thank Alexander Baron especially for a perfectly selected team. We are proud, that you and all the staff of Association "Mitsva", Hesed "Polina", JCC "Rimon" are part of Joint family, which reflected the views of the visitors hosted by the warm and welcoming Jewish community of Almaty.

 - Roman Spektor, Head of the EAJC Public Relations and Media Department