Board of Governors Meeting - 12.07.2004

 

Featured Speakers: 

Dr. Igor Branovan President Russian American Jews for Israel	Andrew Mogilyansky Chairman and Founder MoscowHelp.org	Vladimir Slutsker President Russian Jewish Congress	Amb. Stephen Sestanovich Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations

Luncheon:

Mary Warlick  Director, Office of Russian Affairs  U.S. Department of State

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Summary:

Dr. Robert J. Meth, NCSJ Chairman, and Joel M. Schindler, NCSJ President, opened the December 7, 2004 NCSJ Board of Governors meeting in New York City by thanking NCSJ member and partner agencies for their participation, and the Anti-Defamation League for their hospitality and continued close relationship. Dr. Meth also thanked NCSJ Board members from Federations and national agencies and welcomed the participation of the Russian émigré community.
		Dr. Meth highlighted the political developments in a number of countries of the former Soviet Union with particular attention to Russia and Ukraine. He described the rapid pace of consolidation of power under President Putin and the implications for the future of Russian Jewry and U.S.-Russian relations. In Ukraine, the recent Presidential elections, widely perceived as illegitimate, sparked massive protests and calls for new elections. The level of anti-Semitism, before, during and after the elections has been minimal and neither candidate condoned manifestations of anti-Semitism. Throughout the developments in the former Soviet Union, NCSJ remains the central address the United States government and the governments of this region turn to on issues related to Jews.
		NCSJ President Joel M. Schindler thanked Shai Franklin, NCSJ outgoing Director of Governmental Relations for his contributions to NCSJ. Shai coordinated the organization’s legislative agenda and acted as liaison to the Executive branch and diplomatic community. He recently moved to New York and got married. Dr. Schindler wished Shai success as he starts a new chapter in his life. He then introduced Masha Bolotinskaya, NCSJ Program Assistant, who recently joined NCSJ staff. Masha, a native Ukrainian, immigrated to the United States in 1989. A graduate of NYU with a degree in political science, Masha is fluent in Russian and Ukrainian. He also recognized David Shulman and Judy Turkeltaub, NCSJ Program Assistants.
		Lesley Weiss, NCSJ Director of Community Services and Cultural Affairs discussed the role of NCSJ in establishing links between American Jewish communities and communities in countries of the former Soviet Union. She spoke about NCSJ recent participation in the United Jewish Communities General Assembly where she attended a session on FSU partnerships and had an opportunity to meet with Federation community leaders and professionals from around the country. Lesley also described some of the current Kehillah projects such as the partnership between Baltimore, Maryland and Odessa, Ukraine; Western Connecticut and Kazan, Russia; and Pittsburgh projects in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and Tbilisi, Georgia. She also discussed NCSJ participation in a Pittsburgh/JDC mission to Russia and Ukraine.
		Mark Levin, NCSJ Executive Director spoke about the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment.
		Dr. Igor Branovan, President of Russian American Jews for Israel and Founder of Doctors Against Terrorism introduced the Kadalayev family from Beslan, Russia. He spoke about the terrible tragedy in Beslan, of the innocent victims, and the outpouring of support for the people of Beslan. The Kadalayev family is in New York for medical treatment as a result of the terrorism attack at the Beslan school in September. The World Congress of Russian Jewry in Moscow contacted Dr. Branovan in New York and through the generosity of a number of organizations, 10-year old Anya underwent a critical eye operation.
		Andrew Mogilyansky, the founder of MoscowHelp.org, also spoke about their efforts to raise funds to sponsor the Kadalayevs and other victims of terrorism. NCSJ arranged for the sponsors and the family to travel to Washington, D.C. to tour the White House, attend a lunch reception at NCSJ and attend a reception in their honor at the Russian Embassy.
		Vladimir Slutsker, President of the Russian Jewish Congress in Moscow delivered his first address to an American Jewish audience since assuming office on November 16. He is a member of the Upper House of the Duma and a prominent Moscow businessman. He described the goals of the Russian Jewish Congress: to develop a united organization; to correct the mistakes of the past; and to create a very tolerant, liberal organization which will be a platform to build bonds, understanding, and cooperation with Jewish organizations and communities in Russia and around the world. He said that Jews in Russia are not afraid to declare that they are Jewish and that they belong to the Jewish community. He also said that it is time for the Jackson-Vanik Amendment to be lifted.
		Stephen Sestanovich, George F. Kennan Senior Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, recently returned from Ukraine where he was an election observer of the presidential elections. He spoke about the numerous improprieties, falsifications, forgeries, disappearing ballots, and the highly organized criminal efforts which occurred during the election. Viktor Yushchenko, the opposition candidate has to keep the country together and to fight corruption. Mr. Sestanovich said that Ukraine has all the reasons to believe that there is a bright future, that it deserves to be part of Europe, and that Ukraine should also work to be at peace with Russia.
		Mary Warlick, Director of Russian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State presented a comprehensive overview of the state of relations between the United States and Russia. She stated that there have been many achievements since the time NCSJ was created in 1971 and we can look back with some satisfaction. She added that there are still issues that need the attention of the United States and are of interest to both countries, including combating anti-Semitism, reducing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the support of economic infrastructures.

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(l.-r) NCSJ Executive Committee Member Alexander Smukler; Russian Jewish Congress President Vladimir Slutsker; NCSJ founding Executive Director Jerry Goodman		(l.-r.) NCSJ Executive Committee Members Margery Kohrman and Sandra Goldberg
(l.-r) Jeffrey Goldfarb, Jewish National Fund; NCSJ Executive Committee Member Leonard Kleinman; NCSJ Executive Director Mark Levin		(front, l.-r.) NCSJ Chairman Dr. Robert Meth and NCSJ Executive Committee Member Dr. Stephen Kutner.  (back) NCSJ Executive Committee Member Allen Kronstadt
NCSJ Executive Director Mark Levin and Russian Jewish Congress President Vladimir Slutsker		Jerry Rosen of United Jewish Communities   and NCSJ Executive Committee Member Susan Green
Anya and Albert Kadalayev		Andrew Mogilyansky and NCSJ Executive Committee Member Dr. Judith Wolf

All photos this page by Ray Gerard.

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See highlights from past Board of Governors Meetings:

 

June 2004
October 2003 May 2003 December 2002 October 2001 April 2001	December 2000 November 1999 June 1999 March 1999 October 1998