EAJC Update - February 2004

 

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress





Media Digest
January-February 2004

Conference of «Sefer» Center
Korolev, Russia February 3-5, 2004

Reception in honor of the Ambassador of Israel to the Russian Federation
Moscow, Russia, February 4, 2004

Visit to Morocco 
Morocco, February 17, 2004

Seminar “Europe: against Anti-Semitism, for the Unity of Diversity”
Brussels, Belgium, February 19, 2004

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EAJC Media Digest
January-February 2004

Euro-Asian Jewish Congress will fight “new anti-Semitism”
Michael Chlenov and Joseph Zissels, leaders of Jewish federations of Russia and Ukraine, also representing the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) visited Jerusalem residence district of the Israeli Prime Minister, which had suffered from the act of terrorism carried out by Palestinian suicide bomber.

Jewish leaders, who were taking part in the World Forum against anti-Semitism, arrived upon the tragic scene in order to express their solidarity with the Israeli, who had faced such form of violence again.

As EAJC Secretary General Michael Chlenov pointed out, “Unfortunately, we have to establish the fact that not only is contemporary anti-Semitism traditionally directed against the Jews of the Diaspora, but at the same time it adopts a pronounced anti-Israeli character.”
Analyzing the reasons for such tendencies the leaders of Jewish organizations noted in their interview to the Israeli press that many terrorists receive, at the least, moral support from traditionally anti-Semite groups.

Chairman of EAJC General Council Joseph Zissels added that “nowadays a significant part of population is not affected by old anti-Jewish propaganda, therefore extremists are forced to camouflage their position with statements of ‘unjustified cruelty’ of the Israeli in the Middle East.”
In connection with all the above EAJC official representatives pointed out that they would exert every effort to make governments of those countries where the EAJC is active declare radical anti-Israeli propaganda to be the newest form of contemporary anti-Semitism and recognize the necessity to fight it urgently.

Original publication (in Russian) 


Russia honors Israeli classic

A contest for the best translation of the works of Jewish national poet Haim Nahman Bialik takes place in Moscow. It is devoted to the 130th anniversary of classic’s birth and to the 56th anniversary of the independence of Israel. The Jewish Agency in Russia (JAFI) organized the contest with the help of the Israeli Embassy in Russia.

Around 150 people, including representatives of Russian Jewish communities, of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) as well as of other organizations, took part in the opening ceremony.

The contest will continue till the end of March 2004. Its results will be announced during the celebration of the Independence Day of Israel.

According to Head of JAR Public Relations Department Mark Zaichik, who opened the contest, “the interest paid by Russian intellectuals to the works of Jewish and Israeli authors proves that the relations between our states present stable perspective not only on the official level but also in the cultural dialog.”

Original publication (in Russian) 



Conference of «Sefer» Center / EAJC participation 
Korolev, Russia February 3-5, 2004

The 11th Annual International Interdisciplinary Conference on Judaics was held on February 3-5, 2004 in Korolev, Moscow area of Russia. It was organized by the Moscow Center for University Teaching of Jewish Civilization «Sefer».

The Conference, which took place with the help of Chase’s Center, the American Jewish Joint Distributing Commity (AJJDC), the Jewish Agency in Russia (Sohnut), the Hanadiv Fund, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) and the Russian Jewish Congress (RJC) was timed to the 10th anniversary of «Sefer» Center. The event attracted hundreds of participants from CIS countries and the Baltics, Western and Eastern Europe, Israel and USA.

Extensive program of the Conference embraced topics pertaining to the study of religion, archeology, history, literary criticism, linguistics, Zionism and culture studies. Issues of Jewish consciousness and education, Holocaust, opposition to anti-Semitism, inter-religious dialog, demography, sociology and psychology were also reflected in the conference Program. Special attention in the agenda was paid to the round-table discussion “Moscow Jewish museum: problems of its foundation”.

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress provided not only financial support — its leaders, EAJC Secretary General and Vaad of Russia President Michael Chlenov and EAJC General Council Chairman and Vaad of Ukraine President Joseph Zissels took active part in the plenary sessions of the Conference.




EAJC reception in honor of the Ambassador of Israel to the Russian Federation
Moscow, Russia, February 4, 2004

On February 4, 2004 in Moscow restaurant “Prague” the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) held a reception in honor of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Israel to the Russian Federation Arkady Mil-Man.

The Israeli Ambassador and his wife were welcomed by EAJC Vice-President Telman Ismailov, Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Petr Shelistch, Chief Rabbi of Russia, Vice-Chairman of EAJC Council of Rabbis Adolph Shaevich, Vaad of Russia President, EAJC Secretary General Michael Chlenov, President of the Russian Jewish Congress (RJC) Yevgeny Satanovsky, Chief Rabbi of Moscow, Secretary General of EAJC Council of Rabbis Pinhas Goldschmidt, President of Moscow Jewish Community Gennady Hazanov, President of the World Congress of Mountain Jews (WCMJ), Head of WCMJ Representative Body in the EAJC Zaur Gilalov as well as by other public and religious leaders of international, Russian and Moscow Jewish organizations.

In his speech Arkady Mil-Man mentioned that in the contemporary conditions of Jewish life in the post-Soviet countries he, unlike his predecessors, singles out the specific feature of his activities to be the one of becoming as close as possible to the representatives of the Jewish community regardless of their ideological orientation. In their response speech Adolph Shaevich and Michael Chlenov pointed out that such approach is more than justified and should be sustainable as there are all the necessary prerequisites for that present. The Israeli Ambassador readily supported the proposal.

Yevgeny Satanovsky, member of EAJC General Council Zlata Elbaum, Executive Director of the Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations and Communities of Russia (URS) Zinovy Kogan, Gennady Hazanov and Petr Shelistch discussed the problems of Jewish education, self-identification and state of Israel connections with the Jewish Diaspora.

The reception was held in friendly and hospitable atmosphere, which all the guests accredited to the cordial organizer of the informal dinner, Telman Ismailov.



EAJC Leaders / Visit to Morocco 
Morocco, February 17, 2004

On February 17, 2004 King of Morocco Mohammed VI received 6 leaders of well known international and American Jewish organizations. The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (Conference of Presidents) included James Tisch, Malcolm Hoenline, Ronald Lauder and invited member of the House of Representatives of the US Congress Jerold Nadler (New York). President Alexander Machkevitch represented the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC).

During the meeting there were such topics discussed as the international situation of Israel and its relations with Morocco, the results of the 1st International Conference of Peace and Accord held in February 2003 in Almaty. The aim of the discussion was to reinforce the adherence of all parties to the antiterrorist position, to actually renew cultural and business relations between Israel and Morocco as well as to define forms of cooperation in preparing for the next Conference of Peace and Accord.

According to EAJC Secretary General Michael Chlenov, King Mohammed VI had become the first Arab state leader and monarch to participate in international Judeo-Islamic dialog conducted under the patronage of the President of Kazakhstan. “Until now our main Muslim partners on the official level have been leaders of non-Arab states. That is why I especially welcome King Mohammed’s VI courageous decision to be the first in Arab world to undertake this difficult task”, — said EAJC Secretary General.

“The fact that King Mohammed VI has agreed to participate in the Dialog reflects not only his own will but also the viewpoint of a significant part of Arab establishment in Northern Africa,” — added Joseph Zissels (Ukraine), Chairman of EAJC General Council, who also was in Morocco. As EAJC President Alexander Machkevitch pointed out: “Morocco’s thousand-year monarchy is in a way a general symbol of the sovereignty of all Maghrib states, whereas Mohammed’s VI peaceful gesture means definitely much more than just a decision of one of Arab leaders.” On the same day a meeting of EAJC delegation with Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Morocco Taib Fassi Fihri took place. EAJC delegation included A. Machkevitch, M. Chlenov, J. Zissels and member of EAJC General Council Jeremy Jones (Australia). The main topics of their meeting were a detailed review of the issues, which had been touched upon at King Mohammed’s VI reception as well as discussion of various aspects of EAJC activities.



EAJC Delegation Took Part in the Seminar “Europe: against Anti-Semitism, for the Unity of Diversity”
Brussels, Belgium, February 19, 2004

The seminar “Europe: against Anti-Semitism, for the Unity of Diversity” took place in Brussels on the 19th of February 2004. Around 700 politicians, diplomats, academicians, religious and Jewish leaders participated in it. Among them were President of European Commission Romano Prodi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Joshka Fischer, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece George Papandreou, Israeli Minister for Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs Natan Sharansky, the former Knesset Speaker of Israel Abraham Burg, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Eli Visel (Israel), President of the European Jewish Congress (EJC) Kofi Benatof, Rabbi Aba Dunner (the Conference of European Rabbis), President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews Henry Grunwald, President of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities Amos Luzzatto, President of the Union of French Jewish Communities Henry Grunwald, Chief Rabbi of Great Britain Jonathan Sachs, Lyons and Gallic Archbishop Cardinal Fillip Havier Ignas, Imam of the Central Paris Mosque Dalil Bubaker.

The delegation of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) that also participated in the seminar was represented by EAJC President Alexander Machkevitch (Kazakhstan), EAJC Secretary General Michael Chlenov (Russia), Chairman of EAJC General Council Joseph Zissels (Ukraine) and Secretary General of the Council of Rabbis Pinhas Goldschmidt (Russia).

In his opening address Romano Prodi disclaimed that the current level of anti-Semitism in Europe might be compared with the one observed in the 30s of the XX century. However, he noted that anti-Semitism today poses a real threat to the European society. Joshka Fischer delivered a revelatory speech on new anti-Semitism and denounced the aggression against Israel. He was supported by Natan Sharansky, who spoke about the connection between anti-Semitism and the subjugation of Israel.

EAJC delegation informed the forum participants of the achievements in the international inter-religious dialog conducted under the patronage of President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev, in which the Congress participates actively. They also offered European political and religious leaders to join the dialog in order to solve problems, which are of great concern for the Europeans.

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