RJC Monitor - 07.18.2003

 

The Russian Jewish Congress

MONITORING OF ANTI-SEMITISM INCIDENTS, JUNE 2003

Editorial staff of anti-defamation project of Virtual Jewish Russian-speaking community and Russian Jewish Congress “No to Anti-Semitism” (http://www.antisemitismu.net) published the first edition devoted to monitoring of anti-Semitism incidents for the June of this year.

In June monitoring service fixed twelve news about anti-Semitism incidents. The incidents took place in Russia and other CIS and European countries.

In Russia the anti-Semitism activity was in Moscow, Vladimir, Voronezh, Kaluga, Orel, Novosibirsk, Yaroslavl. In Ukraine such incidents happened in the biggest towns of the country – Kiev and Kharkov. Far abroad anti-Semites acted in German and Rumania. 
Anti-Semitism extremists showed all their hostile feelings against Jewish. The demonstration of members and activists of radical parties NDPR and RNE took place in Moscow and Orel. Vandalism against synagogue took place in Voronezh and Yaroslavl, by the fact in Yaroslavl skinheads painted synagogue building with offensive graffiti. In Berlin monument to non-Jewish wives of arrested Jewish husbands was defiled. In Rumania the authorities denied the fact of Holocaust. Anti-Semitism insults took place in the culture and mass media spheres of Kaluga and Vladimir. The incident of “personal anti-Semitism” with threats and offensive actions against the man took place in Voronezh. 

There were also some curious incidents. In Kharkov, Anatolii Kondratenko, the former editor of Ukrainian newspaper “Jerel’che”, which published anti-Semite articles, brought in an action against RUJEN information service journalist Andrei Kapustin. Complainant blames journalist for calling him Jew in one of his articles. From his point of view it is “an insult against honor and dignity”. To prove that he is not a Jew, he visited the doctor who verified that he is not Cutting. “I was very humiliated to visit the doctor who verified that I had no signs of self-maiming” – wrote Kondratenko in his suit to court. 

At the end of May – beginning of June the 12-th cinema festival “Gold Knight” (Zolotoi Vityaz) took place in Kaluga. Six films were shown. Jewish theme was also touched. One of the favorite writers who was invited to the festival and who’s name we won’t call, claimed in public of his dislike to “bad” nationalities. From his words: “It would be better if these nationalities would be sent to their native land, out of the Great Russia”.

The authorities’ reaction on anti-Semitism action can be characterized as more than passive. On some occasions criminal cases were started and other investigation activities took place. But there are no punished or even arrested people. It’s a pity that in a number of towns such as Vladimir, Voronezh, Orel, the authorities showed entirely no reaction on the claims of ethnic strife fomentation. 

THE MEETING OF JEWISH INTERNATIONAL UNION’S COUNCIL 

The enlarged meeting of Jewish International Union’s Council – former fascism prisoners was held in Finland. Representatives of Belarus, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova national unions, which are the members of the Council, arrived to take part in the discussions. Russian delegation consisted of members from Moscow, St. Petersburg, North-west Jewish organizations – former ghetto and Nazi concentration camps prisoners. General Director of the World Confederation of Jewish Unions who survived in Holocaust and Rebellion fighters Josef Memalemed also took part in the Council’s work. 

Efim Gologorskiy, Council’s president, the Chairman of Moscow Jewish organization – former ghetto and Nazi concentration camp prisoners, made a report on the implementation of the decisions of Council’s conference, which was held on January, 26 2003. 

Mihail Treister, the Chairman of Belarus Jewish organization – former ghetto and Nazi concentration camp prisoners, and Gita Koifman, the Chairman of Israel association “Survived in concentration camps and ghetto”, also made a speech on the implementation of some resolutions, adopted on the conference. 

One of the decisions of the Council was recommendation to national organizations, who united the largest associations of former ghetto prisoners and Rebellion fighters, to enter the World Confederation. The dates, important to all the members, were not forgotten. Next 2004 year will be 60 years since the liberation of former USSR territories occupied by Fascists and, as a result, since the saving from total elimination the Jews, jailed in ghetto, concentration camps and prisons hidden in forests, villages and towns. They decided to organize massive memorial actions in Moscow, Minsk, Kiev, Odessa and also in former ghetto and concentration camps of Mogilyov-Podolskii, Pechora, Tulchin, Shargorod, Murafy, Belchy.

During the meeting many complicated problems concerning national organization’s inner life were solved. In particular, the decision was made on the problem of pensions paid by German government to former ghetto workers, on the problem of including the Jews, who were hiding on the territories occupied by Fascists, in the national funds programs “Memory, responsibility, future”.

The participants expressed gratitude to fund “Karmel” for creating the conditions to hold the meeting of Jewish International Union’s Council.