RJC Monitor - 06.19.2003

 

The Russian Jewish Congress

EXPERTS’ MEETING

On the 19th of June RJC president, Head of the Israeli and Middle East Studies Institute Evgueni Satanovski met the US president’s special representative, director of James Baker Institute for Public Policy, Ambassador Edward Djerijian in the Russian Jewish Congress office in the Spasoglinishevski lane. American embassy representatives, director of the Israeli and Middle East Studies Institute Efim Zhigun and main editor of the weekly newspaper “Jewish News” Nikolay Propirni participated in the meeting.

The topic of the meeting was current events in the Middle East and possible ways to develop situation in this region in the frame of American foreign policy.

American guest was presented the latest Israeli and Middle East Institute editions dedicated to the situation in the region.

Russian-American cooperation in the field of foreign policy was noted to be more durable. It allowed to increase a dialog between experts-orientalists of these very countries and to set a system of “experience exchange” between analytics belonging to different political paradigms. Coordination between Houston Institute for public policy and Moscow Israeli and Middle East Studies Institute is to be continued. 


MOSCOW MAYOR MET RJC PRESIDENT 

On the 19th of June Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov met Russian Jewish Congress president Evgueni Satanovski in Moscow administration. Main Russian rabbi (according to Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations and Associations in Russia) Adolf Shaevich and government members attended the meeting. 

Conversation went on an hour and a half and the strategy of Russian Jewish Community development for 2003-2007 was discussed. Moscow projects take a considerable place among all strategy projects. The other topic of the conversation was perspective to concentrate intellectual and creative potential of Russian Jewry in the Russian capital. Coordination between Moscow officials and Russian Jewish Congress (one of the largest charity foundations in the country) is recognized as natural, considering not only Jewish character of RJC programs. In this context Jewish community contribution to social, educational and cultural infrastructure of the capital was discussed in details. There is a unique situation in Moscow. Jewish population is rising for the sake of internal migrations from unfortunate regions of the country and former Soviet republics. Businessmen and managers are also coming from Israel, Germany and the US with their families. They return to pre-historic native land attracted by favourable economic climate.

RJC president presented for Moscow mayor the unique molded encolpion (hinged crucifix) dated to the XI century from Moscow Jewish University collection formed in the frame of “Khazar project”. This gift was a response of Jewish Community grateful for ancient Torah roll, presented by Moscow mayor for Russian Jewish Congress when Memorial synagogue was opened on “Poklonnaya gora”.


RUSSIAN JEWISH CONGRESS’ BUSINESS-CLUB CONRESSMAN HELD ITS FIRST SESSION 

Russian Jewish Congress’ business-club Congressman held its first working session in Moscow elite club “Monolit” on the 19th of June in the evening. Congressman was created on the 13th of March in 2003 as the “formal ground for informal communications” for businessmen. About 40 businessmen have entered the business-club as active members by the first session. They all share two main ideas of the club: to increase business ties between participants and implement joint projects; to participate in different RJC charity projects.

The topic of the session was “Banks and business”. It gathered about sixty representatives of large and small business from Moscow and regions. Several honourable guests participated too. Russian Jewish Congress executive vice-president Yuri Raskin conducted discussion. Alfa-bank president Petr Aven presented the main report about Russian bank system current conditions. After his speech there was short but volcanic discussion. Deputy governor of Tver region Andrei Stroev, president of the group of companies “Informational business-systems” Anatoli Karachinski, president of unprofitable foundation “Dynasty” Dmitri Zimin and others participated in discussion. Deputy Chairman of Committee for economic policy and business in the State Duma Anatoli Aksakov in a short speech told about state monetary policy and banks investment activities. Deputy Chairman of Committee for credit organizations and financial markets in the State Duma Vladimir Tarachev named actual questions of financing in real economy. “Ural-Siberian Bank” executive in Nizhni Novgorod Mark Feldman paid attention on problems of bank services in regions. “Informservice” chairman Eduard Fiyaksel presented as a consumer of bank services with report “Needs of bank services consumers: reality and expectances”. After main speeches discussion of the most urgent questions continued.

Besides problems connected with the stated topic participants considered several questions dealing with business-club activities. Particularly, work with commercial information provided by club members in the frame of the RJC Internet-project Jewish Internet-club (www.ijc.ru) and ways to participate in charity activity of community were discussed. Different forms of following sessions were designed and the topic of the next meeting was named: “Land. Real estate. Property relations”.

Elected Club Council is to define activities of the new business association in the future. Deal More company president Leonid Guilman, VIP-Bank president Grigori Altshutler and general director of the tourist agency Iness+ Inna Senachina entered the Council. Head of Le Monti, head of the board of trustees of Jewish Community Centre in Maryina Rosha Leon Gandelman became a Council chairman; RJC executive vice-president, Avers-Media general director Yuri Raskin entered the Council as deputy chairman.

During the banket there was alcohol drinks presentation organized by Liquor and Vodka Factory Topaz and Armenian Cognac company with the participation of confectionary factory “Cameo” (St. Petersburg). At the end of the meeting Enamel Miniature company general director Aleksander Rudnik presented for RJC the unique silver wineglass decorated with enamel miniatures on Jewish topics.

RJC Presidium Bureau (uniting many leading Russian businessmen) conducted diversified support for the first session. Respectable number of active members and attendance of political and business elites at the first session make it possible to say that Congressman had a success and may become one of dominating informal business associations in the capital.