The Director General of the EAJC Participated in the WJC Leaders Forum in Budapest

Jews residing in the countries of the former Soviet Union are in critical need of assistance from the global Jewish community. This was stated on Tuesday, June 28, by Dr. Haim Ben Yakov, Director General of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, during his speech at the Forum of Jewish Community Directors in Budapest. He compared the current state of the Jewish community within the post-Soviet space to the crisis of the early 1990s.

“We, the global Jewish community, must confront urgent questions: what are our obligations toward the Jewish population of these states? Should we more actively facilitate repatriation to Israel while simultaneously ensuring the needs of local communities are met? Is the Israeli bureaucratic apparatus prepared to receive and integrate thousands of new olim? And if so, why are many Ukrainian Jews currently seeking refuge primarily in Europe rather than Israel?” stated the Director General of the EAJC.

During his address, he presented data on repatriation to Israel from Russia and Ukraine in 2022. According to his report, approximately 10,500 Jews from Ukraine have found refuge in Israel since February 24. Roughly the same number have fled to Germany, Austria, and other European nations. “We know that at least 15,000 of the half-million Ukrainian refugees in Moldova were received by the local Jewish community in specially established emergency assistance centers,” added Dr. Ben Yakov.

According to figures provided by the Director General of the EAJC, casualties from the ongoing military actions in Ukraine include several members of local Jewish communities across various cities, including Kharkiv, Bucha, and Mariupol.

Furthermore, according to Haim Ben Yakov, the Jewish community in Russia is undergoing a major crisis, with the vast majority of Jewish organizations there having lost their primary financial donors. “This crisis began during the pandemic, but the situation has since deteriorated significantly. The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress remains one of the few organizations supporting the local community, and at times, virtually the only one,” the Director General noted. He added that since the beginning of 2022, over 12,000 Jews have repatriated to Israel from Russia.

Addressing Jewish leaders from 48 countries, Dr. Ben Yakov announced a special forum to be held in Israel this September to address these and other pressing issues. The EAJC is organizing this event in cooperation with the English-language publication The Jerusalem Post. Prominent leaders from both Israel and the global Jewish community have been invited to participate.

The seventh annual World Jewish Congress’ National Community Directors Forum was held for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was hosted by the Federation of Jewish Communities in Hungary (MAZSIHISZ). Directors of Jewish community organizations representing 48 nations—including, for the first time, Egypt—convened to discuss key contemporary challenges. These included the severe humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, the rise of antisemitism, and strategies to combat inflation, which continues to undermine global economic recovery efforts post-pandemic.

“Gathered here are individuals who constantly keep their finger on the pulse of Jewish life worldwide,” said Maram Stern, WJC Executive Vice President, during his opening remarks. “They report having to confront rising levels of antisemitism and continue to seek new ways to counter it, despite the protracted adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges. We draw great inspiration from their remarkable resilience and determination.”