NCSJ Ukraine Trip - October 2002

 

IMPRESSIONS FROM 
THE NCSJ MISSION TO UKRAINE

Mark B. Levin, NCSJ Executive Director

Political Environment
Jewish Community Environment
Jewish Community Activities
Final Thoughts

NCSJ leadership traveled to Kyiv and Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, October 1-7, 2002. The delegation included: Harold Paul Luks, Chairman; Dr. Robert J. Meth, President; Mark B. Levin, Executive Director; Dr. Judith L. Wolf, Treasurer; Dr. Joel Schindler, Vice President; and Lesley Israel, NCSJ Secretary.

Ukraine is a country in great political turmoil. Two major crises confront the current government: mass demonstrations calling for the resignation of President Leonid Kuchma, because of his alleged role in the murder of a prominent journalist, and the ongoing allegations that Ukraine has sold passive radar stations to Iraq. The latter issue has caused a deep split between the United States and Ukraine.

Ironically, at a time of great political and social unrest in Ukraine, its Jewish population has been largely unaffected.  In fact, in many areas of Ukraine the Jewish community is flourishing. However, there are serious issues confronting the community ranging from the restitution of communal property, to caring for the elderly and infirm, to the issue of Israeli-Ukraine relations.

During our trip we had the opportunity to meet with the most senior Ukrainian officials – including the President, Prime Minister and Speaker of the Parliament – and with Jewish community leaders to assess the current situation. 

 

In the Presidential Palace in Kyiv: (l-r.) Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma greeting NCSJ Chairman Harold Paul Luks

POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT A common theme we heard in all of our meetings with government officials was their concern about the diminishing importance of Ukraine to the United States.  Over and over again they stressed their belief that the United States is taking Ukraine for granted.  According to President Kuchma, what he once called a “strategic relationship” no longer exists between the two countries. He believes the U.S. is more interested in discussing minor irritations than in looking at the larger political picture.

President Kuchma and then-Prime Minister Anatoliy Kinakh emphasized the political and economic sacrifices Ukraine has made at the request of Washington without getting anything in return. They specifically cited Ukraine’s decision not to build a nuclear reactor in Iran, which cost the country hundreds of millions of dollars, as well as their decision to eliminate the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal and to close down Chernobyl.

At the same time, Russia is seen as benefiting from Ukraine’s loss of recognition in Washington. The President said, “We get nothing, Russia gets everything.”

President Kuchma spoke about how easy it would be for Ukraine to become much closer to Russia and what this new relationship would mean for the United States.

In our meetings with government officials, they also tried to minimize the impact of the ongoing anti-government  demonstrations. They said their greatest concern was the possibility of the far left and far right combining forces to create a new type of fascism that would definitely impact on the Ukrainian Jewish community. Government officials emphasized the importance of the Jewish community in Ukraine. They said the community had achieved more – with the support of the government – than almost any other Jewish community in the former Soviet Union. We heard time and again how Jews are free to organize and recreate a community.

Jewish Community of Dnepropetrovsk The delegation visiting a clinic in Dnepropetrovsk that is partnered with the Jewish community of Boston

Also, these same officials did not understand why Ukraine has not been graduated from the Jackson-Vanik Amendment. They believe Ukraine has met all of the conditions and any remaining issues can be resolved on an ongoing basis. (Jackson-Vanik links the granting of preferential trade treatment to a country’s human rights and emigration policies.)

President Kuchma and the other officials clearly believe NCSJ and the American Jewish community play an influential role in the United States. The President and Prime Minister committed themselves to addressing our concerns on the issue of restitution. They also said anti-Semitism would not be allowed to expand as it has in other parts of Europe.

It is clear that the current government has close ties to the community and vice versa, but these close ties may prove costly if a new government sees these current close relationships as detrimental or undesirable.  NCSJ attempts to maintain contacts with both those in and out of power, in Ukraine and elsewhere.

Jewish Community of Dnepropetrovsk In Dnepropetrovsk: (l.-r.) NCSJ Vice President Joel Schindler, an Israeli Embassy representative, NCSJ President Robert J. Meth, and Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki

JEWISH COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT There are many impressive Jewish communal activities occurring in Kyiv and Dnepropetrovsk. Indigenous and international Jewish organizations are engaged in programs ranging from Jewish education, to helping the elderly, to feeding the hungry. Everyone with whom we spoke fervently believes there are many other Jews who need to be brought into the community. We heard that only 5-15 percent of the Jewish population is engaged in some sort of community activity.

As in any Jewish community, there are multiple and competing opinions on how best to develop the community and who should lead the way.  However, these differences – for the present time – have not prevented community development.

We spoke to members of the Orthodox, Hasidic, Lubavitch, Conservative and Reform religious movements. The Hasidic and Lubavitch rabbis have the strongest presence in Ukraine and throughout the former Soviet Union. They have been able to harness strong support from many of the leading Ukrainian Jewish businessmen. They also tend to have control over most of the synagogues in Ukraine. It should be noted that these rabbis have made a long-term commitment to Ukraine and this commitment clearly translates into concrete, ongoing programs for their communities.

The Reform movement has a number of congregations and activities in Ukraine, but lacks rabbis and other professionals. The Conservative movement supports different types of activities, including a Sunday School in Kyiv. However, both movements would need a far greater commitment as well as resources from their international bodies to make a real difference in Ukraine. 

Restitution of communal property is a serious issue for the Jewish community.  The government has returned buildings and cemeteries on an irregular basis. Various community groups have submitted property lists to the national government. The national government says it is committed to returning property, but certain issues must be addressed first. These include: the financial impact, the displacement of occupants from existing structures, the viability in maintaining returned properties, and the impact on other ethnic and religious minorities.

NCSJ has addressed all of these issues in previous meetings with Ukrainian officials. The mission participants did not hear any new reasons for the slow pace. Jews as well as other groups should have their property returned; we do not see this as an exclusively Jewish issue. We have suggested that allowing the community to sell and/or rent their properties may be one way to lessen the financial impact on the government.  We have never suggested that individuals be removed from their homes and offices without a suitable replacement.

What was new from our discussions was the commitment received from the Prime Minister and President to have NCSJ become a formal part of the process. We accepted their offer and plan to work with the local communities and international organizations to expedite the whole process.

The group heard different views on how serious anti-Semitism is in Ukraine. Many believe the government needs to speak out more forcefully when incidents occur. Others do not see anti-Semitism as a problem. Almost everyone agreed that state-sponsored anti-Semitism does not exist in Ukraine. However, individual officials have given interviews to anti-Semitic newspapers and magazines. In addition, while the group was in Dnepropetrovsk, the Rabbi was verbally assaulted. 

JEWISH COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

As befitting any large capital with an equally large Jewish population, in Kyiv there is a diverse set of programs available to the community.  The group had the opportunity to meet with secular and religious leaders as well as representatives of the Israeli government, JAFI Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI/ "Sochnut"), and American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC/"Joint").  Every day the Chesed Center serves thousands of elderly and needy Jews. For many Jews, young and old alike, the only meals they receive are from a Jewish entity.  ORT is running a very impressive facility that has become one of the best schools in Kyiv. Ukraine Chief Rabbi Yakov Bleich has created a wonderful school and orphanage.

The needs are many and resources are scarce.

Dnepropetrovsk is a truly special community. Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki is the guiding force behind what can only be described as the best-organized Jewish community in Ukraine, if not the entire former Soviet Union. He has combined local government and Jewish business resources to create support programs for the very young to the very old. These programs are also supported through a unique community-to-community partnership with the Jewish community of Boston, Massachusetts.  

Jewish Community of Dnepropetrovsk The delegation visiting the Bet-Hana Special Needs Center in Dnepropetrovsk

The group visited the largest Jewish day school in Eastern Europe, with almost 700 students of all ages. Jewish youth with special needs are being educated in a loving and caring environment.  The community just opened its first senior living center that rivals almost anything we have in the United States.  In addition, there is a Chesed Center serving the needs of the elderly.

FINAL THOUGHTS

After 11 years of independence, there is much that remains to be accomplished in Ukraine. The American Jewish community has many concerns, including the security and well-being of the State of Israel, but an opportunity exists in Ukraine and the rest of the former Soviet Union that should not be ignored. The opportunity is to fully integrate the world’s third-largest Jewish population into the greater Jewish community.

A little amount of money goes a very long way in the former Soviet Union.  Promoting Jewish renewal also creates a new generation of potential olim. Israel and the Diaspora are in a race against rapid assimilation and an aging population.

Rabbi Kaminezki, in particular, has provided a blueprint for how to develop a Jewish community.

Given the short-term level of interest in many American Jewish communities, we need to demonstrate that the fundraising appeal for the former Soviet Union has not been lost. Many of the projects in Kyiv and Dnepropetrovsk can replicated in other communities and can provide a vehicle for increased Kehilla Projects.

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