The Director General of the EAJC Participated in the V International Simashkin Readings

Dr. Haim Ben Yakov, Director General of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), participated remotely in the 5th International Literary Readings dedicated to the memory of the People's Writer of Kazakhstan, Maurice Simashko (1924–2000).

The conference took place on March 18, the anniversary of the prominent author's birth, at the headquarters of the Union of Writers of Kazakhstan. The event was organized by the Mitsva Association, the M.O. Auezov Institute of Literature and Art, the Union of Writers of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the literary and artistic journal "Prostor," the Kazakh PEN Club, and other creative and civic organizations.

Participants of the Simashko Readings included prominent Kazakhstani writers, literary scholars, journalists, publicists, literary translators, historians, and undergraduate and postgraduate students from university philology departments. The conference featured academic presentations alongside personal recollections of the writer.

All materials presented at the conference will be published in a proceeding volume following the conclusion of the readings.

During the event, EAJC Director General Dr. Haim Ben Yakov addressed the participants:

"The creative heritage of Maurice Simashko holds a special place in the cultural sphere of Eurasia. His historical and philosophical prose has served as a bridge between eras and civilizations. His works reflect a profound dialogue of cultures—East and West, past and present. It is no coincidence that researchers refer to him as one of the founders of the modern historical novel in Central Asia.

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His public activity was of equal importance. In the 1990s, Maurice Simashko participated actively in the development of Jewish communal life in Kazakhstan, supporting cultural and educational initiatives. Today, the Republican Jewish Library under the Mitsva Association bears his name, symbolizing recognition of his contribution to the spiritual and cultural development of the community."

The video address of the EAJC Director General to the participants of the readings is available on the Congress YouTube channel.

Photo: Facebook page of Bigeldy Gabdullin, President of the International Kazakh PEN Club.