This is an automated translation and may contain inaccuracies. For citation purposes, please refer to the original Russian version.
Editor's Note
The development of Jewish life in the Land of Israel and in the diaspora has historically been shaped by models of communal self-organization that reflect the spirit of the times, the environment of Jewish communities, and their collective value systems. This is fully applicable to the Jews of the Euro-Asian region. The rich communal, cultural, national, and political tradition of Russian-speaking Jewry, which today constitutes over 90% of this community, was practically lost by the early 1960s due to the tragic events of the last century.[1]Efforts — at times not without success — to revive various forms of informal and semi-legal Jewish activity in the USSR, stimulated by Israel's victory in the Six-Day War, understandably had only a limited effect.[2]
As a result, by the end of the Soviet era, only fragments of Jewish cultural and educational structures remained in the country, alongside religious communities barely tolerated by the authorities, and a few underground Zionist groups.[3] Thus, the process of Jewish national-cultural revival and the establishment of an organized Jewish movement at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, coinciding with the beginning of a wave of mass Jewish emigration, essentially took place almost "from scratch." The framework of this process was defined by three groups of active participants who, to varying degrees, operated within the concept of the Jewish community.
The first group consisted of activists from the Jewish national-democratic movement of the 1970s and early 1980s who had emerged from the underground, attempting to implement the idea of independent "community building." The second factor was the authorities, who sought to integrate the reviving Jewish movement into the reforming post-communist regimes. Finally, the third actor comprised Israeli and other international Jewish organizations that actively supported, and sometimes initiated, various forms of organized Jewish life, and in the mid-1990s established their own institutional infrastructure in post-Soviet countries.[4]
All these factors led to the emergence of numerous Jewish associations, which underwent significant transformation over the subsequent three decades. The outcome of a serious, and at times intense, ideological debate[5] was a common understanding of the fundamental principles of the post-Soviet Jewish movement, which is generally shared by almost all factions of the Jewish communal elites. The primary principle is the service-oriented and non-hierarchical nature of the activities of Jewish communal structures, and the division of functions between local, regional, and continental organizations.
At the grassroots level, there are organizations that are often professional projects, and sometimes the core of urban or municipal Jewish communities and "ethnic autonomies," providing a full range of services to members of the local "extended Jewish population." The next tier is formed by sectoral or regional "umbrella" associations (associations and federations of Jewish organizations and communities; Jewish councils, national-cultural autonomies; unions of Jewish religious communities, and Jewish congresses). Their function is primarily to mobilize resources, support and coordinate the activities of local Jewish structures, implement inter-communal programs, and represent Jewish interests to the authorities.
At the top of this pyramid are the supra-umbrella or continental Jewish organizations that have become more active in the last decade, including the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. The EAJC and its sister structures see their mission in developing a coordinated strategy for Jewish activity, implementing transcontinental projects, and supporting Jewish communities and associations. The Congress also promotes the interests of the region's Jewish communities in leading international Jewish organizations and fosters their ties with the State of Israel.
The following informational and analytical essay by the Director General of the EAJC, Dr. Haim Ben-Yakov, is dedicated to the outcomes of these activities during the eventful and globally challenging year of 5780.
Prof. Ze'ev (Vladimir) Khanin
The Mission of the Congress in 5780: Achievements and Challenges
The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress unites a wide range of Jewish communities and organizations from the Balkans to the Far East and Oceania. Today, the EAJC views itself not merely as a fund supporting initiatives, but as a structure actively involved in the development of the region's Jewish communities. This strategy involves:
Defining the directions and priorities of Jewish life in the Euro-Asian region;
Supporting existing successful projects and initiatives, with an emphasis on innovation in Jewish communal work;
Initiating a number of its own strategic projects;
Taking active steps in public diplomacy and collaborating with government agencies in the interests of Jewish communities.
The spectrum of the Congress's projects fully reflects the diversity and uniqueness of Jewish life in our vast region, and its program policy is built around the following areas: supporting communal structures, comprehensive support for the State of Israel, developing Jewish education, preserving the memory of the Holocaust, combating antisemitism, social assistance, and youth outreach.
The past year of 5780 in the Jewish calendar presented Jewish communities with many complex questions.
Its first half was marked by several important events. In November 2019, the EAJC, in cooperation with the European Jewish Parliament, organized the First Summit of Eurasian Jewry, attended by Jewish leaders from 32 countries of the Euro-Asian region and Israel.
The Summit adopted several significant resolutions, particularly on strengthening the role of youth in the development of Jewish life, supporting repatriation, and condemning and eradicating all forms of antisemitism. The delegates also supported the Declaration of Commitment to the Jewish People and the State of Israel, assuming joint responsibility for the fate of Euro-Asian Jewry. Within the framework of the forum, the head of the Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), Danny Atar, announced the launch of a strategic partnership with the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.
The leaders of the Congress emphasized the critical importance of an innovative approach and constant adaptation of communal activities to modern conditions, which proved highly relevant a few months later in the new realities dictated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the second half of the year, the Jewish world faced numerous challenges. Several communities and organizations lost their donors or faced significant funding cuts. At the same time, the forced departure from traditional formats due to the COVID-19 epidemic opened new opportunities and once again highlighted the importance of online activity. Finding the right balance of work formats became one of the main tasks for the Jewish world.
The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress considers it its duty to assist communities affected by the coronavirus. In the past year, we supported several communal projects that were on the verge of closure. Along with this, despite the difficult conditions, the EAJC continued its work in all program areas.
Scientific, Analytical, and Publishing Activities
The Congress conducts large-scale research to better understand the needs of communities and, based on the results of these studies, defines the strategy and tactics of its work.
The Institute for Euro-Asian Jewish Studies continues its active work. This is a special project of the EAJC, established in November 2018,[6] which has become a respected academic center studying the contemporary state of the region's Jewish communities, including in the context of their relations with the State of Israel, migration processes, and the cultural and historical heritage of Jewish communities.
Among the Institute's experts are Dr. Leonid Smilovitsky, Dr. Sam Kligar, Dr. Nati Cantorovich, Rafael Sattarov, Dr. Dina Lisnyansky, Dr. Dmitry Shevelev, Dr. Asaf Kaniel, Dr. Joseph Brener, Dr. Olaf Glöckner, Dr. Vladimir Mesamed, Dr. Velvl Chernin, Prof. Mikhail Chlenov, Chairman of the Institute's Academic Council — Prof. Ze'ev Khanin, the author of this publication — Executive Vice President of the Institute, and many others.
The latest large-scale study of the Jewish population of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, and Kazakhstan, conducted in 2019–2020 at the initiative of the EAJC, has been completed. The results of the study, which reveals important aspects of Jewish identity, its state, and dynamics, are summarized in a corresponding monograph[7]. This work has once again demonstrated that the Jews of post-Soviet Euro-Asia represent a dynamic socio-cultural community with their own specific identity and must be considered as a distinct group in the formation of Jewish policy.
The Institute's series of monographs featured a unique work by Dr. Velvl Chernin, "From Crimean Notebooks" — a collection of essays on field research of sub-ethnic Jewish groups of the Crimean Peninsula[8]. The book introduces into scientific circulation data obtained during ethnographic research in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when carriers of the Krymchak cultural tradition were still alive, and therefore holds special scientific value.
In November 2019, the previous Yearbook of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, "Jews of Europe and Asia: State, Heritage, and Prospects" for 5779 (2018–2019), prepared by the Institute in academic cooperation with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was published. In doing so, the EAJC revived a long-standing tradition of regularly providing an overview of Jewish life in the region to the scientific community, the broader Jewish public, and the leadership of the states whose Jewish communities are members of the Congress.
In December last year, the Institute hosted a round table aimed at assessing the current state of the region's Jewish communities, the challenges they face, and the prospects for resolving them. The participants discussed the demographics and ethno-social structure of the Jewry of the former USSR and Euro-Asia; the identity, culture, and boundaries of the Jewish collective in the post-Soviet space; the issues of the transnational Russian-Jewish and Euro-Asian Jewish diaspora, and the relationship of the region's Jewish communities with the State of Israel. The main aspects touched upon at the meeting are presented in a special section in this volume.
The Institute's experts took part in the 11th Stern Readings on "Israel and the Diaspora: Realities and Challenges of the 21st Century." The Stern Readings is an annual Israeli forum "with a Russian accent," dedicated to the memory of the former Knesset member Dr. Yuri Stern, an activist in the underground Zionist movement in the USSR and a prominent representative of the Russian-speaking community in Israel.
Strategic Projects of the EAJC
The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress initiates and promotes strategic projects that reflect the EAJC's position as a regional and international Jewish leader.
On January 23, 2020, in Jerusalem, in the presence of top officials from Israel and Russia and many distinguished guests, a solemn unveiling ceremony was held for the "Memorial Candle" monument, dedicated to the heroism of the defenders and residents of Leningrad during the siege. The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress was the first to actively support the initiative to create the monument, which was proposed by the Council of World War II Veterans, the Association of Leningrad Siege Survivors in Israel, former Knesset member Leonid Litinetsky, EAJC President Michael Mirilashvili, the External Relations Committee of the St. Petersburg Government, and the Jerusalem Municipality. Funding for the monument was provided by the EAJC, the Russian Jewish Congress (RJC), businessman and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center Viktor Vekselberg, the Jewish National Fund (KKL), and the Israeli Keren Hayesod foundation. The monument was designed and installed with the support of the authorities of St. Petersburg and Jerusalem.
A special project implemented by the EAJC in 2020 will be the publication of a collection of feuilletons by Vladimir (Ze'ev) Jabotinsky, originally published in 1922 and never reprinted since. 2020 is observed in Israel as the Year of Jabotinsky (the 140th anniversary of his birth and 80th anniversary of his death). The foreword to the collection was written by the President of the State of Israel, Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin, who commended the activities of the EAJC focused on assisting Jews of the former USSR, encouraging the development of Israel's ties with the diaspora, and supporting repatriation. Almost 100 years later, it is an honor for the Congress to bring the brilliant ideas of this visionary and energetic leader of the Jewish political scene of the first half of the 20th century to modern readers.
As part of a joint project between the Babel bookstore (Tel Aviv) and the EAJC, a unique six-part documentary series, "The Markish Case," was filmed and released[9]. The film is a vivid first-hand account by the laureate of numerous literary awards, David Markish, about the history of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee, the "refusal" and repatriation to Israel, life in the Jewish state, the people he encountered, and his books. David Markish — author of some fifteen novels, public figure, and son of the poet and one of the leaders of the JAC, Peretz Markish — has lived in Israel since the early 1970s. Many of his books have been translated into Hebrew and European languages. The film and its abridged version can be viewed on the EAJC website.
In January 2020, presentations and premiere screenings of the series took place at International Memorial in Moscow and at the Anna Akhmatova Museum at the Fountain House in St. Petersburg. The screening was part of a joint program by the EAJC, International Memorial, the GULAG History Museum, and the "Last Address" project to commemorate the repressed members of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee. Within the framework of the program, throughout 2020, International Memorial is hosting the exhibition "Bromberg's Violin: Victims of Anti-Jewish Campaigns of 1920–1950 in the USSR." The EAJC also supported the translation and publication in Hebrew of the documentary novel "From the Pale to the Edge" about Peretz Markish and the destruction of the JAC in 1952.
Support for Communities
The EAJC supports communal activities, promotes the study of the historical and cultural heritage of Jewish communities, defends their interests at the governmental level, and facilitates inter-communal dialogue in the Euro-Asian region.
Supporting communities during the pandemic has become a top priority for the EAJC. Under the changed circumstances, the Congress established constant communication with local Jewish leaders, obtaining first-hand assessments of the situation and offering assistance in reorganizing communal activities. In addition to the large-scale sociological study reflecting the state of Jewish communities, the EAJC pays close attention to studying their historical heritage and cultural characteristics.
In 2020, the Congress funded the preparation and publication of the book "Jews of the Land of Noah" — a chronicle of the Jewish community of Armenia in the 19th–21st centuries. The text relies on a solid source base, containing archival documents, many of which were previously unpublished or forgotten. The book became another link in the publishing project on the history of small communities, which previously produced "A Popular History of Bukharian Jews"[10] and "The Jews of Georgia: Socio-Legal Status and Economic Position from the 18th Century to the Establishment of Soviet Power in Georgia in 1921."[11] The EAJC continues to support the Georgian-language Jewish newspaper "Menora", which is popular in Georgia and among Georgian Jews in the diaspora and Israel.
In Ukraine, several joint projects were launched with our partner, the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine (JCU), headed by EAJC First Vice President Dr. Boris Lozhkin. One such project is the translation of selected books on the history of Israel and the Jewish people into the Ukrainian language. In cooperation with the JCU, the "Academic Initiative (Project) for the Study of the History of Ukrainian Jewry," established at Tel Aviv University, was also launched. The history of Jews in Ukraine is a vital part of Eastern European Jewish history. Before the revolution, the territory of modern Ukraine was one of the main centers of Judaism and Jewish life, yet the history of local communities and their unique specificities remain understudied. Research will focus both on archival materials already introduced into academic circulation in Ukraine, Russia, Poland, and Israel, and on the analysis of data from periodicals, document collections, personal papers, and monographs.
The EAJC acted as a partner of the Kyiv Jewish Forum, which was held in May 2019[12] and September 2020[13], also organized by the JCU. The Forum has become one of Eastern Europe's largest platforms for discussing pressing issues of Jewish communities among politicians, experts, and communal leaders from Europe, Euro-Asia, and America.
Beyond financial support, the EAJC helps communities form a strategic vision for their development prospects. During one of the online meetings with the leaders of EAJC member communities, we emphasized that in times of crisis and resource constraints, funds should be directed to the most critical areas of activity. It is essential to establish an honest and open dialogue with community members and formulate new approaches involving cost-sharing and financial support not only from sponsors but also from project participants. This is the best time for innovation, experimentation, entering new platforms, and mastering new formats.
Support for Israel
The EAJC supports the State of Israel and facilitates the strengthening of its ties with the Jewish diaspora and the countries of the Euro-Asian region. The Congress has established close relations with the Government of Israel and the Knesset, Israeli embassies in the region, and representative offices of EAJC member states in the Jewish state.
Work continues on the multi-year project to publish previously classified Soviet-Israeli documents covering the period from 1954 to 1967[14], for which a corresponding declaration was signed by the governments of the Russian Federation and Israel. At the Cummings Center for Russian and East European Studies at Tel Aviv University, a group of scholars led by Dr. B. Morozov was formed to prepare this publication. In the State Archives of Israel, which houses the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more than 1,200 documents reflecting the complex relations between the two countries have been identified, of which over 600 of the greatest interest were selected for publication.
In parallel, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, a group of researchers led by the Director of the Historico-Documentary Department, N. M. Barinova, conducted similar work to identify relevant documents in the Foreign Policy Archive of the Russian Federation, and the process of their declassification was completed specifically for this joint project. As a result, the parties exchanged the selected materials, studied them during meetings in Jerusalem and Moscow, and agreed on a list including 700 of the most significant Russian and Israeli documents. These include official notes and declarations, correspondence between the leaders of both countries and between the foreign ministries of the USSR and Israel, embassy reports, summary materials prepared by Soviet diplomats for the CPSU Central Committee, personal letters and documents of ambassadors, instructions, and various analytical materials.
Of immense interest to researchers are the coded telegrams of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and documents of "Nativ" — the organization established by the Israeli government to maintain contact with Jews in the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries — declassified for the first time specifically for this project. All Russian and three-quarters of the Israeli documents have already been translated into English (the Israeli version of the book will be published in English to make it accessible to researchers worldwide). Concurrently, meticulous work continues on annotating these texts.
The documents, most of which will be published for the first time, will allow for a deeper understanding of the differences between the USSR and Israel that led to the severance of diplomatic relations in 1967. The contradictions between the countries in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict, in which the Soviet Union took a clear pro-Arab stance; the struggle of the Israeli government for the preservation of Jewish traditions in the USSR and the freedom of emigration of Soviet Jews to Israel; mutual accusations, diplomatic demarches, and scandals related to the expulsion of diplomatic mission staff; negotiations regarding Russian real estate and the conclusion of the so-called "orange deal" — these and many other events are presented in the documents as testimonies of that era.
The EAJC also consistently advocates for the relocation of diplomatic missions of various states accredited in Israel to Jerusalem (recently, Serbia and Kosovo have already made such a decision).
We are convinced that, given Israel's importance to the Jews of the former USSR, the Jewish state should increase its involvement in the life of the diaspora, paying special attention to the security of local communities and combating antisemitism.
Jewish Education
The EAJC actively supports school and pre-school Jewish education, and initiates projects that raise the general level of Jewish literacy.
The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, like many organizations operating with its support, has elevated its online activities to a new qualitative level, making Jewish education highly accessible. Since the start of the pandemic, the EAJC has developed a series of online projects that have served as examples of new working formats under the changed conditions.
A special section titled "EAJC Online" has been added to the Congress's new website, featuring films, educational videos, courses, lectures, publicistic writing, and articles from the Institute for Euro-Asian Jewish Studies[15]. The section is constantly updated with new materials on Jewish life in various regions, history, culture, traditions of different Jewish communities, and outstanding representatives of the Jewish people.
An online library was also launched[16], where, with the cooperation of Jewish publishing houses, rare and selected books constituting the treasury of Jewish literature are made available to the public. These publications are difficult to find on bookstore shelves, yet they remain a vital component of Jewish education. Currently, texts of books from the "Shamir" publishing house, which provided part of its collection for the project, have been uploaded. The EAJC invites other Jewish publishers to contribute to the formation of the online library.
The EAJC has launched a new Telegram channel "Jewish Life in Europe and Asia"[17], which publishes the most interesting materials and news of Jewish life in the region. In the new academic year, an online project for studying spoken Hebrew was launched in a separate Telegram channel[18], offering various learning materials relevant both for beginners and for those already fully immersed in the language environment.
The JFuture project continues to operate[19] — a Sunday Jewish educational platform utilizing new technologies and teaching methodologies. Within JFuture, children and parents can receive professional consultations from specialists, expand their knowledge, and spend time productively. The Sunday schools are primarily oriented toward Jewish families not involved in the formal education system, introducing them to communal life and strengthening their Jewish self-identification. Classes are held weekly at community centers, and the JFuture curricula developed by leading specialists are supplemented by a wide range of multimedia tools.
The EAJC continues to consistently support the "Limmud" educational conferences[20], which are based on a modern approach to traditional Jewish values. Today, more than ever, we need unity, and all of Limmud's long-standing activities are aimed precisely at uniting Jews around the ideas of enlightenment and pluralism. The Chairman of the EAJC Board, Aaron Frenkel, remains one of the leading figures and sponsors of Limmud. With the support of the EAJC, the "Sefer" Center for University Teaching of Jewish Civilization[21], established in 1994, continues to be highly active. The Center is rightfully considered the leading structure in the post-Soviet space developing all aspects of academic Jewish studies.
Preservation of Holocaust Memory
The EAJC pays special attention to the study of the Holocaust and support for former ghetto and concentration camp prisoners. Preserving historical memory and combating Holocaust denial are crucial priorities of the Congress's activities.
In 2020, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which unites 35 countries, published a statement condemning "any attempts to rehabilitate individuals implicated in the crimes of the Holocaust and the genocide of the Roma."
As is well known, in some countries, individuals directly or indirectly involved in the murder of Jews have become symbols of national struggle and elevated to the rank of national heroes. The deliberate silencing of their antisemitic ideology and practice is directly related to the rewriting of history. Such a policy is unacceptable and contradicts international standards. The EAJC condemns the glorification of Nazi collaborators and sees its mission in defending historical truth and commemorating the victims and heroes.
At the EAJC General Assembly held online in August 2020, a resolution was adopted calling on the authorities of the Euro-Asian region to enact legislation prohibiting the rehabilitation of collaborators and the silencing of their deeds; to officially ratify the definition of antisemitism formulated by the IHRA, and to integrate Holocaust studies into state educational curricula.
The International Association of Jews — Former Child Survivors of Ghettos and Nazi Concentration Camps has been a member of the EAJC for many years, supporting former prisoners and preserving and transmitting the living memory of the Holocaust to the younger generation.
In 2019, this structure won the first-ever Euro-Asian Jewish Congress "Project of the Year" award, established to encourage the most successful initiatives.
During the difficult days of the pandemic, with the support of the EAJC, an operational headquarters was set up at the organization to maintain constant contact with former prisoners, many of whom require home care.
Additionally, with the support of the Congress, the organization released a unique documentary film "Witnesses"[22] for Holocaust Remembrance Day, in which former child survivors of ghettos and concentration camps spoke about their childhood. The author of the film is 17-year-old schoolboy Grigory Muromtsev, grandson of Oleg Efimovich Mortkovich, head of the Moscow Association of Jews — Former Prisoners of Ghettos and Nazi Concentration Camps. Oleg Efimovich's parents died in the Vinnitsa region in 1943, and he himself was hidden in a cellar throughout the years of occupation by Natalya Fedorovna Bondar, who was later recognized as Righteous Among the Nations. The film also features the well-known playwright and screenwriter Aleksandr Gelman, whose family was deported to the Bershad ghetto in Transnistria. Of the 14 members of the writer's family, only he and his father survived.
A special project of the EAJC to commemorate the victims of World War II, as already noted, was the unveiling of the "Memorial Candle" monument. 150,000 Jews shared the fate of the residents of besieged Leningrad, many went to the front, and about 70,000 died. Today, more than 1,300 siege survivors live in Israel. At the monument's unveiling ceremony, EAJC President Michael Mirilashvili, together with Viktor Vekselberg, head of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center, announced the launch of a special program aimed at preserving historical memory and deepening mutual understanding between peoples.
As part of the program, a commemorative medal was produced, and the collection "Pages of Siege Memory"[23], compiled from the memoirs of people who survived the siege of Leningrad as children, was translated into Hebrew and distributed to universities, schools, and libraries. Annual joint visits of delegations of siege survivors to St. Petersburg and Jerusalem are also planned, and support for archival research and educational programs is expected. Russian Post issued a commemorative stamp dedicated to the Jerusalem memorial.
The Fight Against Antisemitism
The EAJC actively opposes the rising wave of antisemitism, including the demonization and delegitimization of Israel, urging state leaders to relentlessly combat manifestations of hatred and acts of violence against Jews.
Within the framework of the "Public Diplomacy" program, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress facilitates the adoption of the definition of antisemitism formulated by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) by the countries of the region. Moldova and Serbia have officially adopted this definition, while other states are considering the possibility.
As noted above, within the framework of the Summit of Eurasian Jewry, the EAJC adopted a resolution condemning and eradicating all forms of antisemitism and called on the leaders of the region's states to take a firm stand and implement concrete steps to prevent the escalation of antisemitic manifestations.
Social Assistance
The EAJC considers assistance to socially vulnerable Jewish families and the elderly to be one of the most important areas of the Congress's activities.
Social projects in the Euro-Asian region faced considerable financial and organizational difficulties due to the spread of the pandemic. Nevertheless, the Congress did not stand aside, supporting communities during this challenging period.
Thus, the EAJC delivered dozens of tons of matzah to many Jewish communities. We are grateful to everyone who made efforts to ensure that Jews in India, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Armenia, and other countries received matzah for the Passover Seder. Within the framework of the annual project, which has been active for more than fifteen years, the EAJC provides matzah and essential food products to needy Jews. This year, the organizers received a record number of requests from communities experiencing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In particular, the Congress assisted the Moscow Association of Jews — Former Prisoners of Ghettos and Nazi Concentration Camps in providing medicines, matzah, and kosher food packages for Passover, as well as in their distribution. Matzah and kosher juice for the holiday were also received by beneficiaries of the unique "Sheket" program for deaf and hard-of-hearing Jews, and participants in the Jewish project for children with disabilities "Integration" (Moscow Jewish Community House — MEOD).
In addition to delivering matzah, on the eve of the Passover holiday, the EAJC provided emergency financial assistance to communities and organizations that are members of the Congress. The leaders of the EAJC were particularly active in this regard. Congress President Dr. Michael Mirilashvili assisted families who were undergoing treatment and rehabilitation in Israel and could not leave the country due to total lockdown and border closures. Chairman of the EAJC Board Aaron Frenkel provided five cargo planes with medical equipment, as well as 14 million shekels to fight COVID-19 through Israel's largest volunteer organization, "Yad Sarah."
The EAJC and the President of the All-Ukrainian Jewish Congress, EAJC First Vice President Vadim Rabinovich, joined forces to support Jewish life in Ukraine. Significant sums were transferred to the accounts of the country's Jewish communities and organizations to secure their ongoing activities and timely resolution of urgent tasks. First Vice President of the EAJC Boris Lozhkin and his wife Nadiya Shalomova provided the Kolomiychenko Institute of Otolaryngology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine with a large number of protective suits. Boris Lozhkin noted that doctors are on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus, in a high-risk zone, so it is necessary to ensure their safety. The set included protective overalls, latest-generation respirators, protective goggles, and disposable gloves.
EAJC Vice President David M. Iakobachvili and his business partner Yan Yanovskiy initiated a program to assist labor migrants in Russia affected by the spread of the coronavirus. The ancient Jewish principle of "helping the stranger" and the universal concept that a friend in need is a friend indeed are more relevant today than ever.
Youth Outreach
The future of Jewish communities, their development and prosperity, depends on the younger generation and its involvement in Jewish life. That is why the EAJC views support for youth and student projects and organizations as one of the cornerstones of its activities.
The EAJC supports the activities of the world's largest Jewish student organization, "Hillel," in Russia[24], Ukraine[25], Moldova, Belarus, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.
"Hillel" has existed in the territory of the former USSR since 1994. The organization's mission is to strengthen self-awareness among Jewish youth and involves informal study of Jewish history and traditions, acquaintance with Israel, and participation in leadership and volunteer programs.
The EAJC also facilitates the expansion of activities of the Russian Union of Jewish Students,[26] helping to organize Jewish holidays on university campuses, hosting Israeli lecturers at Russia's major universities, creating a platform for student interaction, and combating antisemitism. It should be noted that in this difficult moment, activists of youth Jewish organizations mobilized their efforts and resources, organizing several projects to provide comprehensive assistance to elderly community members.
Characteristically, with the shift of focus to the online space, Jewish youth gained a platform for new formats. We are convinced that it is highly important to support and develop these trends even after the crisis. In general, it is vital for communities to involve youth to ensure skillful and relevant online representation.
To conclude the review, I would like to quote the President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Dr. Michael Mirilashvili: "The past year was filled with important and serious work under very challenging conditions, but despite this, we continued to do everything possible for the prosperity of our communities and our people. Much has been done, and even more lies ahead in the new year!"
[1] Yoram Gilboa, The Black Years of Soviet Jewry (Boston: Little Brown, 1972)
[2] See The Six-Day War and the Jewish Movement in the USSR: Essays on Social History. Khanin V., ed. M., "Sefer" (Academic Series), 2008; Velvl Chernin, “Institutionalization of Jewish Culture in the USSR, 1960s — 1980s,” in Jews and Jewish Life in Russia and the Soviet Union, ed. Ya’acov Ro’i (London: Frank Cass, 1995), p. 226-36; Ro’i, “The Jewish Religion in the Soviet Union after World War II”, Jews and Jewish Life in Russia and the Soviet Union, pp. 263-89; Robert O. Freedman, ed. Soviet Jewry in the Decisive Decade, 1971 — 1980 (Durham: Duke Univ. Press, 1984)
[3] Robert O. Freedman, ed, Soviet Jewry in the 1980s (Durham: Duke University Press, 1989)
[4] For more details on these processes, see Khanin V., "In Search of Community: Models of the Revival of Organized Jewish Life in the Late USSR and Post-Soviet Countries." Diasporas (Moscow), 2011, No. 2, pp. 64-79
[5] See Vladimir Khanin, “Institutionalization of the Post-Communist Jewish Movement: Organizational Structures, Ruling Elites and Political Conflicts,” Jewish Political Studies Review, Vol. 14, Nos. 1-2, (Spring 2002), p. 5 — 28
[7] Khanin V. and Chernin V. Jewish Identity in the Former USSR: State and Challenges. Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv University Diaspora Research Center and the EAJC Institute for Euro-Asian Jewish Studies, March 2020 eajc.org/исследование
[8] Chernin V. From Crimean Notebooks: Essays on Field Research of Sub-Ethnic Groups of Jews of the Crimean Peninsula. Series of Research and Analytical Reports of the IEAJS and the Diaspora Research Center of Tel Aviv University, Issue No. 2. Tel Aviv and Herzliya, December 2019
[9] eajc.org/projects/дело-маркиша
[10] Dvorkin I. and Fazylov M. A Popular History of Bukharian Jews. Jerusalem, 2018
[11] Ter-Oganov N. The Jews of Georgia: Socio-Legal Status and Economic Position from the 18th Century to the Establishment of Soviet Power in Georgia in 1921. Jerusalem and Moscow: Gesharim, 2019
[12] kyivjewishforum.com/KJF2019
[14] eajc.org/project/документы. See also the article by Y. Livne in this volume.
[15] eajc.org/онлайн
[17] t.me/eajconline
[18] t.me/eajc_hebrew
[22] eajc.org/свидетели
[23] Pages of Siege Memory. A Collection of Memoirs of People Who Survived the Siege of Leningrad. Jerusalem, 2020 (in Hebrew)
The views expressed by the experts do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Institute for Euro-Asian Jewish Studies or the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.
