The EAJC General Assembly: Supporting Communities During the Pandemic is a Primary Objective of the Congress

On August 5, the General Assembly of the EAJC—the plenary meeting of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress leadership—convened via videoconference. Participants included the President of the EAJC Dr. Michael Mirilashvili, Chairman of the EAJC Board Aaron G. Frenkel, Director General of the EAJC Dr. Haim Ben Yakov, Vice-Presidents of the EAJC, and leaders of Jewish communities across the Euro-Asian region.

EAJC President M. Mirilashvili presented the annual activities report, outlined the core strategic directives of the Congress, and submitted a draft Resolution in support of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) statement of July 7, 2020, which condemns "any attempts to rehabilitate those complicit in the crimes of the Holocaust and the genocide of the Roma."

The Resolution urges state authorities across the Euro-Asian region to enact vital legislative measures to prohibit the rehabilitation and omission of crimes committed by Nazi collaborators. It further proposes the formal adoption of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism and calls for the integration of Holocaust studies into national public education curricula.

The Resolution was adopted unanimously by the Assembly.

First Vice-President of the EAJC Boris Lozhkin briefed the Assembly on the upcoming Kyiv Jewish Forum (Kiev Jewish Forum), which is to be held online this year, and presented a new initiative dedicated to translating and promoting seminal literature on the history of Israel and the Jewish people into the Ukrainian language.

Chairman of the EAJC Board Aaron G. Frenkel, First Vice-President of the EAJC Temur Ben Yehuda Khikhinashvili, as well as Vice-Presidents Boris Spektor, David Yakobachvili, and Moshe Shvets, addressed the community leaders with messages of solidarity during these challenging times.

During the session, the Assembly approved the 2019 Euro-Asian Jewish Congress activity report, presented by EAJC Director General Dr. Haim Ben Yakov.

“The scope of our projects reflects the distinct diversity and vitality of Jewish life within the Euro-Asian region. Amid these demanding times, we remain dedicated to our educational and social initiatives, as well as projects aimed at supporting the State of Israel, combating antisemitism, preserving Jewish historical heritage, and commemorating the Holocaust,” stated EAJC President Dr. Michael Mirilashvili.

“We call upon national leaders to actively counter antisemitism, oppose the demonization of the State of Israel, and reject any attempts to rehabilitate individuals directly or indirectly involved in the mass murder of Jewish people during the Holocaust. Revising history by silencing or downplaying crimes committed against the Jewish population during World War II is entirely unacceptable,” stated EAJC Director General Dr. Haim Ben Yakov.