JTA - 10.03.2003

Rival leaders sign accord

(JTA) —  Ukrainian Jewish leaders vowed to keep their differences within the community. Leaders of the All-Ukrainian Jewish Congress and the Va’ad of Ukraine, an association of Jewish organizations and communities, signed an agreement Sept. 17 aimed at establishing peace in their relations. The president of the Jewish Congress, Vadim Rabinovich, and Va’ad chairman Josef Zissels said the agreement was brokered by the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. It follows months of acrimony that culminated in the declaration earlier this year by a committee of secular and religious Jewish leaders, including Rabinovich, that Zissels was persona non grata. The agreement bars Jewish community figures from participating in the Ukrainian political process; publicly airing grievances concerning Jewish organizations or leadership before non-Jewish audiences; and using the media against other community members.