The General Assembly of the EAJC was held online

The Annual General Assembly of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress took place online on Wednesday, November 30. The Assembly was attended by EAJC President Dr. Michael Mirilashvili, Chairman of the Board of the EAJC Aaron G. Frenkel, EAJC First Vice-Presidents Emmanuil Grinshpun and Boris Lozhkin, EAJC Vice-Presidents Mark Shabad, David Yakobashvili, and Moshe Shvets, EAJC Director General Dr. Haim Ben Yakov, as well as leaders of Jewish communities and Congress member organizations.

The Assembly reviewed the report on the work of the Congress for the years 2021-22 and approved decisions regarding the admission of new members and the update of the EAJC Board. Consequently, the newly elected EAJC Vice President, Matvey Chutmann, was officially confirmed in his position. A businessman and public figure, Matvey Chutmann served as the Treasurer of the EAJC from 2015 to 2018. Following the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, he launched a charitable initiative in Austria aimed at providing refugees with housing, primary counseling, as well as supplies of medicine and food. This year, Chutmann also funded a summer camp for Ukrainian children affected by the hostilities.

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the EAJC, a special video featuring a unique photo chronicle of the Euro-Asian Jewish delegation's accession to the World Jewish Congress in 1992 was presented.

Community leaders expressed their gratitude to the EAJC leadership for their coordinated efforts, support, and maximum endeavors during these challenging times.

Welcoming the participants of the Assembly, EAJC President Michael Mirilashvili noted that the current difficult period has brought the Jewish community in the Euro-Asian region together "more than ever before":

"This dreadful war has already brought immense suffering to both communities and individuals," noted M. Mirilashvili. "This is a severe trial. It must compel us to achieve even greater unity and care for one another. We must be concerned not only with our own lives but also with the lives of our friends, neighbors, and Jews throughout the region. In such challenging times, it is vital to care for our neighbors and strive to assist and support everyone we can. Those present here must work closer together, cooperate, and interact in order to save as many lives as possible. The time has come to prove ourselves. To demonstrate what we are capable of and to show that our unity benefits not only our people but the entire world."

Chairman of the Board of the EAJC Aaron G. Frenkel, in a special address to the participants of the Assembly, highlighted the significant role of the Congress in world Jewish life. "Over the past 30 years, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress has become an integral part of the Jewish world. The Congress encompasses Jewish communities in 23 countries, leaders of Jewish organizations, and many individuals who care about Jewish life in the region. This is a complex and highly valuable endeavor. This is especially true today, when the world is volatile and far from stable compared to before. Today, the Congress works with numerous leading organizations in the Jewish world, in partnership with whom many projects have been implemented. The key to the success of our people lies in coordinated action and unity," he said.

First Vice-President of the EAJC Boris Lozhkin spoke on the crisis situation facing the Jewish community in Ukraine amid the ongoing hostilities in the country. "I strongly hope for the support of the Ukrainian community and Ukrainian Jews — both those who have left and those who remain. I trust that, together with the EAJC, we will develop joint projects, primarily for the communities in the cities that have suffered the most. This is especially crucial for this winter and early spring, which will be exceptionally difficult for those remaining in Ukraine," he concluded.

Lozhkin also emphasized the importance of continuing joint academic projects, such as the Center for the Study of the History of Ukrainian Jewry at Tel Aviv University.

First Vice-President of the EAJC Emmanuil Grinshpun, in turn, thanked the leadership of the EAJC for their assistance in evacuating 20,000 Jewish refugees from Ukraine to Eastern European countries: "The Moldovan Jewish community is also experiencing difficult times. There are constant power outages in Chisinau and across Moldova. The Moldovan Jewish community has welcomed tens of thousands of Jewish refugees from Ukraine. A large number of Ukrainian Jews have settled in Moldova, and we continue to provide them with support."

EAJC Director General Haim Ben Yakov announced a major EAJC conference hosted on the platform of The Jerusalem Post. The online forum will take place on Tuesday, December 6, bringing together leading Israeli politicians, legal experts, officials, and public figures. The conference will focus on the Jewish community of the Euro-Asian region.

"Undoubtedly, we would have preferred to mark the 30th anniversary of the Congress under more joyous circumstances, but the current year poses difficult questions and demands a serious, strategic approach. Therefore, we have organized a joint conference with the Jerusalem Post dedicated to the situation in our region. We have invited Israeli politicians and leaders of the Jewish world to discuss the future of Jewish life in post-Soviet countries," stated the EAJC Director General.