The EAJC extends its condolences on the passing of Mikhail Gorbachev

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress mourns the passing of the former President of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, who has passed away at the age of 91 after a prolonged and severe illness.

On behalf of the leadership of the EAJC and on his own behalf, the President of the Congress, Dr. Mikhael Mirilashvili, has sent a telegram of condolences to the family and relatives of the late politician:

“The name of Mikhail Gorbachev is inextricably linked to a complex, ambiguous era of hopes and disappointments, profound tragedies and momentous achievements, and a thorough reassessment of fundamental values. It was during this period that the key parameters of our contemporary reality were established, which continue to shape our lives today. A prime example is the history of the restoration of diplomatic relations between the USSR (and subsequently Russia) and Israel. This process initiated with the resolution of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU dated December 29, 1989, ‘On the Future Policy Towards Israel,’ and was officially finalized during the historic visit of the last Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR to the Jewish state on October 18, 1991. These events paved the way for the so-called ‘Great Aliyah,’ which radically transformed both the State of Israel and the global Jewish community, demographically and politically.

For the global Jewish community, Mikhail Gorbachev will forever be associated with the long-awaited fall of the ‘Iron Curtain.’ Hundreds of thousands of Soviet Jews, who for seventy years under the Soviet regime could not even dream of moving to the Holy Land or the New World, finally obtained freedom of movement. At the same time, those Jews who remained in the Soviet Union during Perestroika were able, thanks to the policy of Glasnost, to rediscover their traditional heritage. Jewish theaters were established, books and periodicals began publication, prayers resumed in synagogues, and the Jewish community could once again celebrate holidays openly and collectively.

Despite the overall complexity and ambiguity of the transition period at the turn of the 20th century, the Jewish people remain deeply grateful to Mikhail Gorbachev for the freedom they acquired, the value of which has since been repeatedly proven by time.

We join the family and loved ones of Mikhail Gorbachev in mourning their loss. He will remain in our hearts and in our memory.”