Russian Jewish Congress - April 2002

The Russian Jewish Congress




The Charitable Fund of the Russian Jewish Congress

Information Bulletin # 7

Greater Unity of Jewish Europe Becomes Reality

A delegation of the Russian Jewish Congress took part in the executive meetings of the European Council of Jewish Communities (ECJC), the European Jewish Congress (EJC) and the World Jewish Congress April 21-24 in Brussels.

The most important outcome of the board meetings of ЕCJC and EJC was the decision of its leaders to move toward unity of these Europe's principal Jewish organizations.  Faced with the growing threat on the part of extreme nationalist groups in western Europe professing fascist ideology, the consolidation of Islamic radicals and the apparent triumph of double standards in high-level politics in the West, European Jewry has come to the realization of the need for a united stand.

Addressing the sessions of the WJC Executive were several important Israeli, American and European politicians who analyzed the course of political battles in the UN and NATO related to Middle Eastern settlement.  Several speakers stressed that the anti-Israeli campaign in the UN structures had reached a qualitative level  on which any international initiative to settle the crisis is blocked if it is not aimed against Israel.  Of special concern are attempts to delegitimize Israel as a state and to the merger of anti-Zionism and antisemitism in the political parlance of the Western political elite.

He most activist position in these efforts are taken by the leader of the Austrian Jewish community Ariel Musykant, Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Yakov Blaikh and RJC President Eugueni Satanovsky.

Rise of skin-heads' activity discussed at Press Conference in Moscow

“The recent the pogroms of the synagogues, demonstrations of neo-Nazis in Europe and the results of the elections in France are the result of the use by the extreme nationalist forces of the democratic mechanisms, legal loopholes and speculations on economic difficulties.  Such misdeeds in multinational Russia may have a devastating effect on our country.  To counter them this country needs a well-planned and resolute approach both to the national question and to any manifestations of nationalism. Moreover, action against these misdeeds ought to be taken by the country’s legislators, first and foremost,”  said RJC President Eugueni Satanovsky addressing a press-conference in the editorial office of the national newspaper “Argumenty i fakty” in Moscow April 24. 

The press-conference was devoted to the activization of skin-head groups and other neo-Nazi organizations in Russia and to counter measures that the Russian Jewish Congress and other anti-fascist organizations should initiate.  Taking part in the conference was Deputy of the State Duma Petr Shchelishch, member of the RJC Presidium.

“To prevent the spread of neo-Nazism, antisemitism and other ideologies of national intolerance in Russia must insure that its legal system should become fully operational,” Satanovsky believes.  “In reality, the State Prosecutor’s office often does not recognize manifestations of fascism as such.  The Russian Orthodox Church, which, incidentally, has not yet recognized “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” as a fabrication, ought to take a clearer stand on such issues, too,” he said.

Unless Russian society takes a consolidated position on the national questions, we should be expecting negative events on Hitler’s birthday and deathday every year, Satanovsky said.  It will be recalled that the title nation suffers as heavily from fascist ideology as the so-called aliens, he added, as was clearly the case in Germany.

‘The Jewish question’ is a clear indicator of the spread of nationalism in any country.  While the Russian Jewish community today is certain about the strong and explicit position toward fascism on the part of Russia’s president, it is not at all sure that the law and order officials and local authorities perceived the statement of the president on the matter in his recent message to the Federal Assembly as instruction to take specific action and not a formal appeal.  Whether appropriate measures will be taken to counter further activization of skinheads remains to be seen.  For its part, the Russian Jewish Congress is convinced that opposition to nationalism is the most important common cause for all Russian citizens, public organizations and authorities, a cause vital for the future of the country.

“Against Terror”–a Rally of solidarity with israel at moscow’s choral synagogue

 “We Are Against Terror” was the slogan of a mass rally that took place at the Choral Synagogue in downtown Moscow  April 25.  Organized by the Russian Jewish Congress, the Jewish Community of Moscow and the Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations and Communities of Russia, the rally brought as many people to the narrow street of central Moscow as had only happened twice before—during Golda Meir, then ambassador of the State of Israel, on her first visit to Russia in the late 1940s, and exactly one year ago during the unveiling of the new dome above the Choral Synagogue.  The police stopped counting the participants after the number exceed seven thousand.  According to the organizers, between eight and eleve thousand people took part in the rally.

Coinciding with the rally, some 300 students waving Israeli and Russian flags and displaying anti-terrorist slogans formed a human wall in front of the Israeli embassy in Moscow.  A stand with photographs of the victims of terror was set up near the entrance to the premises where people brought in flowers, and candles arranged in a line were lit in memory of each one of those who died in the Al-Aks Intifada.  RJC President Satanovsky handed the Letter of Solidarity with the People of Israel to israeli Ambassador Mr. Nathan Miron, who also received 15 thousand signatures under this letter collected during the first week of the action from Chief Rabbi of Russia Adolf Shayevich and President of the Jewish community of Moscow Gennadi Khazanov.  This letter was signed both by Jews and non-Jews in synagogues and churches, in institutes and offices of companies—almost like this was done in the not so distant past, but completely voluntarily.

During the ceremony in front of the Israeli Embassy, a  large group of Russian pop stars took part in the concert that accompanied the rally.  Among them were Alla Yoshpe and Stakhan Rahimov, Tamara Gvertsiteli and Valery Syutkin, Maxim Leonidov and Ian Levenson, the Jewish Choir of Mikhail Turetsky, Jasmine, the Voskresenye group and others.

The rally resumed when those taking part in the ceremony returned to the synagogue. 

At the suggestion of RJC President Satanovsky, a minue of silence was observe to venerate the memories of all victims of terrorism in Israel, Russia and the US.

As the people waved Russian and Israeli flags and chanted “Israel, we are with you!”, they heard parents of children who died at the hands of the terrorists, Israelis who had made aliah from republics of the former Soviet Union.  The rally also heard speeches by leaders of the Russian Jewish community: Chief Rabbi Shayevich, President of the Moscow community Khazanov and its Vice-President Zlata Elbaum, film director Yuli Gusman, head of the WAAD organization Mikhail Chlenov, and director of the Holocaust Center Alla Gerber, among many others.  Parliamentarians representing the Union of Right Forces (SPS) voiced their indignation at the anti-Israeli policy of the State Duma and support for Israel’s fight against terrorism

The meeting was convened to counterbalance the anti-Israeli actions organized by groups of Russian nationalists, leftist and Islamic radicals a week before and supported by Palestinians living in Moscow.  The week preceding the meeting was marked by considerable tension amidst expectations of acts of violence on the part of skinhead groups planning to mark Hitler’s birthday April 20.  No such acts were registered in the capital on that day; however, a group of youngsters carrying stones were spotted and dispersed by the police and security guards near the Choral Synagogue during the rally, and several skinheads were arrested. 

Similar actions of solidarity with Israel were organized by RJC branches in 15 other cities around Russia. With many thousands of people participating, this was the first ever mass action organized by the Russian Jewish community which voiced its concerns loud and clear.

The RJC Contribution to Russian Renaissance Grows in Scope

The development strategy pursued by the Russian Jewish Congress transcends the frameworks of Jewish community alone as its efforts in the fields of philanthropy, education, research and culture aim at solving tasks that are important for the country as a whole.

Among the partners of RJC in these endeavors are the Russian National Library, the Moscow and St. Petersburg State Universities, the State Hermitage Museum, the State History Museum, and several leading research institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  RJC’s social programs are among the best in Russia, while its educational projects in serve as a link between the Russian and Western, including Israeli, systems of higher education and research.

The Russian government values and supports the course pursued by RJC toward the development of the social and educational infrastructure of the Jewish diaspora in Russia.  The success of his course is important for the country as a whole.  This was stressed in conclusion of a meeting between Mrs. Valentina Matvienko, Vice-premier of the Russian Government, and RJC President Eugueni Satanovsky in Moscow April 23.

RJC delegation visits berlin

A delegation of the Russian Jewish Congress, on a visit to Berlin, took part in several meetings organized by the Jewish community of Berlin and the Society of Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  A series of meetings, which culminated with a reception given by the President of German Republic in the presidential palace, took place April 25 through 28.

RJC is the only Russian organization which takes part in the funding of programs of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the CIN and outside of Israel as a whole.  Several  members of the RJC Presidium are on the board of the University’s International Center for the Teaching of Judaica abroad, while RJC President Satanovsky is vice-president of the Center’s Board of Trustees.

The main project discussed by the RJC representatives in Berlin concerned creation of a Jewish University in Berlin.  The new school of higher learning can be modeled on two similar study and research centers which have been successfully operated in both Moscow and St. Petersburg.  The Moscow Center of Jewish Studies and Jewish Civilization, which opened in 1998, was a joint venture of the Jewish University in Moscow, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Institute of Asian and African Countries of the Moscow State University.  A similar center was set up in 2000 by joint efforts of the St. Petersburg Jewish University, the Hebrew University and the St. Petersburg State.  The two centers have provided a much needed bridge between the Russian and Israeli academic research establishments and promoted Russian-Israeli contacts as a whole.

The Russian-German-Israeli project in the field of higher education and researchhas a high potential for proving a viable institution for several reasons.  Firstly, the academic systems in Russia and Germany are largely similar, due to the fact the Russian system was based on the German model to begin with.  Secondly, there exists considerable experience in all countries in cooperation with one another.  Thirdly, there is a high degree of trust and understanding between the political leadership of the three countries.  And last but not least, both Israel and Germany have large Russian-speaking Jewish communities, people who emigrated there during the 1990s and have preserved a great interest in passing on their Russian cultural heritage to the next generation.  Finally, all three countries have stable economic relations which have good prospects for long-term growth in the future.