Michael Mirilashvili has been appointed as the inaugural President of the Keren Hayesod Foundation in Eurasia.

Yesterday (Sunday), a gala dinner was held at the Orient Hotel in Jerusalem to honor Natan Sharansky, organized by the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Agency for Israel ("Jewish Agency") and the Directorate of Keren Hayesod - United Israel Appeal. During the event, Michael Mirilashvili, President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, was appointed President of Keren Hayesod in Eurasia. Keren Hayesod plans to significantly expand its operations in the Euro-Asian region in the near future. Michael Mirilashvili is one of the most prominent philanthropists supporting the activities of Keren Hayesod and also serves as Vice President of the World Jewish Congress.

The central event of the evening was the presentation of the "Defender of Jerusalem" (Magen Yerushalayim) Award to outgoing Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky, in recognition of his efforts to strengthen the bond between the Jewish Diaspora, the State of Israel, and its capital, Jerusalem. The honor of presenting Sharansky with the prestigious award went to David Koschitzky, Chairman of the Keren Hayesod World Board of Trustees, and the newly elected President of Keren Hayesod in Eurasia, Michael Mirilashvili. Last year, Michael Mirilashvili, along with businessman and philanthropist Alexander Mashkevitch, became the first recipient of the "Defender of Jerusalem" Award at a ceremony in Toronto, attended by global Jewish leaders and the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush.

Michael Mirilashvili stated: "I accept the appointment as President of Keren Hayesod in Eurasia with profound humility and pride. It is particularly meaningful that, alongside this appointment, I have the honor of presenting the 'Defender of Jerusalem' Award to Natan Sharansky, a man who has contributed so extensively to the future of the Jewish people as a whole, and specifically to Jewish emigrants from the former USSR. Mr. Sharansky is an exemplar of heroism and self-sacrifice. He has successfully united Jews worldwide: secular and religious, Israelis and their brethren in the Diaspora."

The event concluded with an address by Natan Sharansky, who offered a humorous piece of advice to his successor: "I have always maintained that before finding oneself in prison, one must do two things: get married and learn to play chess in one's mind. There are no prison cells in the Jewish Agency, but we do have conference calls."

On the eve of the event, the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel elected Isaac Herzog, Leader of the Opposition in the Knesset, as the new head of the organization. Herzog succeeds the legendary champion of Soviet Jewry, Natan Sharansky, who held the position for nine years.

Photo: Avi Hayun