Conference - May 2000 

YALTA 2000: 
Jewish Community Conference

 

Visiting site of the 1945 Yalta Conference: (l.-r.) Michael Steiner, Special Projects Associate, United Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh; Howard Rieger, President, United Jewish Federation; Lesley Israel, NCSJ Executive Committee; Ted Comet, Executive Vice-President, World Council of Jewish Communal Service; Shoshana Comet; Shai Franklin, NCSJ Director of Governmental Relations.

May 21-24, NCSJ Executive Committee member Lesley Israel and NCSJ Governmental Relations Director Shai Franklin led sessions at a community development conference in Yalta, Crimea. The conference, cosponsored by the Russian Jewish Congress and the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine in conjunction with United Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, included the participation of community professionals from across the former Soviet Union. Lesley co-led a session on lay-professional relations, and Shai presented details of the NCSJ Kehilla Projects as well as other opportunities for community partnerships. Lesley has conducted training programs throughout the region.

Prior to the conference, Lesley and Shai met in Kyiv with American and Israeli officials, and with Ukrainian Chief Rabbi Yakov Bleich. Among the topics of conversation were anti-Semitism, community developments, restitution of communal property, and President Clinton’s forthcoming visit to Kyiv. Following the conference, Shai spoke in Kyiv at commencement exercises for the community day school.

Lesley Israel, NCSJ Executive Committee member, discussing lay-professional relations at community development conference in Yalta: (l.-r.) Josef Zissels, Executive Vice-President, Jewish Confederation of Ukraine; Lesley Israel; Ted Comet, Executive Vice-President, World Council of Jewish Communal Service; Alexander Osovtsov, CEO and Vice-President, Russian Jewish Congress.