Holocaust memorial opened in Moldova

On September 29, the opening ceremony of the monument, deidacated to the memory of thousands of Jews killed during the Holocaust, took place in the Kosaut forest near the town of Soroca in Moldova. The memorial was erected on the site were 6,300 Jews were executed back in 1941. The installation of the monument was initiated by a native of Soroca, President of the Moscow Jewish Religious Community (MERO), Grigory Roitberg, whose relatives are buried in this place. The Jewish community of Moldova and its head, vice-president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Alexander Bilinkis took an active part in the project.

The ceremony was attended by members of the Jewish community of Moldova, descendants of those killed during World War II, President of the Russian Jewish Congress (RJC) Yuri Kanner, officials from Israel and Moldova, diplomats from several countries.

Speaking at the ceremony, Grigory Roitberg noted that the symbolic meaning of the memorial correlates with the well-known expression from Jewish scriptures: “Any untimely deceased person is a Torah page torn out.”

“We often treat the death toll as a statistic – 6 million people is a huge number, yet still a number. But when it comes to the death of one person, who is close to us – it is no longer a statistic, it is a tragedy. Here is a place where 6,300 of such tragedies lie. Most of them were children,” Roitberg added, “Today I really want us not to forget about it. We really need this if only for those who lie here.”

During the ceremony, EAJC Vice-President Alexandru Bilinkis pointed out that for the Jewish community of Moldova it is the fourth opened Holocaust memorial over the past two years.

“For 30 years now, preservation of the Holocaust victims memory, as well as cultural heritage and the fight against anti-Semitism have remained our main mission. Unfortunately, the tragedy of war remains a part of modernity. We do not learn to compromise, we do not learn from our own history,” he said.

The memorial to the Jews shot near the city of Soroka is a composition of twenty marble steles, symbolizing chopped tree trunks. On the first row are the names of thousands of executed Jews, whose identity has been identified to date.

As researchers of the history of the Holocaust note, many events that took place during the 2nd World War on the territory of Moldova have not yet been studied by historians, since they were hushed up for many years. From the first days of the war, the territory of the country was occupied by Romania and included in the so-called Transnistria – the territory between the rivers Dniester and Bug, in the southern part of Ukraine. Before the war, over 300,000 Jews lived there. Transnistria was established in August 1941 and lasted until the second half of March 1944. It is noted that, unlike the Germans, the Romanian genocide of the Jewish population was unsystematic and chaotic.

All decisions to exterminate the Jewish population were left to the discretion of the local leaders, who were not accountable. In the winter of 1941-1942 alone, about 250,000 Jews were killed on the territory of Transnistria. In total, more than 300 thousand Jews died in concentration camps during the years of the Romanian occupation.

Bomb Shelters in Southern Israel and a ‘Safety Road’ Were Opened With the Support of the EAJC

The Jewish National Fund (JNF-KKL) has completed a project to build ten protective structures in Israeli communities located on the border with the Gaza Strip. In addition to bomb shelters, the program also included the construction of a so-called “Safety Road” in Kibbutz Nir Am. On September 22, a solemn ceremony of its opening took place. The event was attended by public organizations, officials, and politicians. The project was financially supported by the President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Dr. Michael Mirilashvili, EAJC Vice-Presidents David Yakobashvili, Victor Naishuller, and Boris Spektor.

Speaking at the ceremony, the head of the EAJC recalled the massive rocket attack on the south of Israel during the anti-terrorist operation “Dawn” in Gaza in early August.

“In our holy writings, the Almighty expresses to us words of approval, words of support. It is said: “Your enemies will seek support from you. The kings will worship you. You will not borrow, but you will lend,” Dr. Mirilashvili said.

“If you think about the deep meaning of these words, you can see their embodiment around us. Literally, the whole world is watching us, the State of Israel. Our former enemies are now looking at us with hope and faith. They understand that we can support them, and help them. Until recently, this seemed impossible, but such times have come – thanks to the ‘Abraham Accords’ between Israel and the Arab countries. These agreements just two years ago made possible what seemed impossible for decades. Thus began a new chapter in the history of the Middle East. And today we are its active participants.

In this regard, if our former enemies rely on us today, then we must show our strength in defending our own cities and settlements so that those around us will believe in us even more. If only we, the Jewish people, would believe in ourselves as other nations believe in us. Our prosperity can only be reached by unity, which we clearly lack today. On the eve of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, I wish our people unity, peace, and prosperity,” summed up the President of the Congress.

10 days after the end of the anti-terrorist operation of the Israel Defense Force’s “Guardian of the Walls” in the Gaza Strip at the end of May 2021, the Jewish National Fund launched a project to build several dozen mobile protective structures in southern Israeli settlements, close to the border with the Gaza Strip. The project was implemented in close coordination with local settlement councils and the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Particular attention was paid to the border farmland area to ensure the protection of farmers during potential shelling from the Strip.

The military operation “Guardian of the Walls” (May 2021) began in response to a massive rocket attack on Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip by terrorist organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad. During the escalation of the conflict, about 4,360 rockets were fired from the enclave toward Israel, most of them toward the southern cities of the country. As a result of the shelling, 8 Israelis (including a 5-year-old child) and three citizens of foreign states were killed. More than 350 citizens of the Jewish state were injured of varying severity.

Shana Tova from EAJC!

Dear friends!

The past year has been extraordinarily difficult. Hard trials continue to fall on most of the mankind and the world Jewish community as well. This year, many had to experience unprecedented difficulties, realize the value of human life and once again recall eternal values.

At times like these, we realize that “peace” is not just a beautiful word. We say it often, but sometimes we forget what it really stands for. Peace is a great respect for human rights, freedom and the opinion of others. This is cooperation between people and nations, the exchange of ideas, scientific and technological progress. Peace is, first of all, humanity, mercy and the holiness of life.

It is exactly what Judaism has taught the Jewish people for centuries. Moses in the book of Deuteronomy tells the people directly: between life and death, choose life. For the sake of life and its salvation, we not only might, we are obliged to violate one of the most important commandments – the observance of Shabbat. In this case, the breach becomes compliance. It is hard to realize that such cases have become a monstrous routine this year.

Such a reverent attitude to life, responsibility for each other and readiness to help are in the very heart of the modern Jewish state’s character, which has grown on a solid foundation of several thousand years tradition. These are the foundations of our faith and life, which we can pass on to other nations.

These values ​​form the basis of our organization as well. For 30 years, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress has been taking care of the communities needs of the region, and among them, of course, the communities of the former Soviet Union countries. We supported them in the most difficult moments, we continue to support them now.

We pray for the peace and fulfill our moral duty – to help and support everyone who needs our help, being in a very difficult situation today.

In the darkest times, even when it was difficult to accept and comprehend everything that was happening around, the Jewish people did not lose their faith and did not stop praying. According to our tradition, the entire month of Elul, and especially the Ten Days between Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, is precisely a time when the Almighty is especially open to our prayers. Let us consider what we could have done better this past year and make a sincere request for peace. So that, G-d willing, the next year, 5783, would be a year of calmness, forgiveness, healing of wounds, global awareness of the great value of peace and the unacceptability of war.

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress heartily congratulates you on the upcoming 5783 Jewish New Year!

Shana tova u-metuka!

 

Sincerely,

Dr. Michael Mirilashvili

President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress

The EAJC delegation took part in the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions

On September 14-15, a delegation of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) took part in the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Nur-Sultan. In total, over 100 delegations from 50 countries of the world gathered in the capital of Kazakhstan, including representatives of the Catholic Church led by Pope Francis, leaders of the Islamic and Buddhist world, Orthodox churches, including the Patriarch of Jerusalem, as well as the chief Sephardic and Ashkenazi rabbis of Israel. The forum participants discussed the role of religious leaders in the spiritual and social development of mankind in the post-pandemic period.

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress at the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions was represented by EAJC Board Chairman Aaron G. Frenkel, EAJC Honorary President Alexander Mashkevich, and EAJC Director General Dr. Haim Ben Yakov. They took part in the discussion about issues of interaction between world confessions and the development of relations between Kazakhstan and Israel in various fields.

Opening the forum, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that the land of Kazakhstan “for millennia has acted as a connecting bridge between East and West.” “Currently, representatives of more than 100 ethnic groups live in harmony in Kazakhstan, and about 4,000 religious associations representing 18 confessions operate freely. We believe that this is our priceless wealth and inalienable advantage. Holding the Congress is an important part of Kazakhstan’s policy aimed at strengthening dialogue and cooperation both in our country and around the world,” the head of state noted.

EAJC Director General Dr. Haim Ben Yaakov spoke at the plenary session at the Congress. In his speech, he called on statesmen, religious authorities, opinion leaders, and influencers to “use their voice to promote the values of acceptance, respect, dialogue, and multiculturalism.”

“I am also happy to represent Israel here,” he said. – A state built on the basis of centuries-old biblical values. Historically, the land of Israel has always been at the crossroads of continents, civilizations, empires, and peoples. Such a sensitive geographical position required and still requires maximum diplomacy from us. In the difficult conditions of wars and terror, we persistently offer peace to our neighbors. Finally, these efforts are bearing fruit. The recently signed ‘Abrahamic Accords’ have already led to unprecedented close cooperation between Israel and the countries of the Persian Gulf.”

“We already see how much the peace process, the rich scientific, cultural, and technological exchange lead us to incomparably more than senseless enmity. It doesn’t mean that we have to agree on everything, but it does mean that we are carrying on a civilized dialogue and can discuss our differences patiently and respectfully. And thus, we are on the right path.

We see that more and more public figures and religious authorities among Muslims, often with a large number of followers on social networks, resist the wave of hatred towards Israel, support the Jewish state, and call for peace. Muslim and Christian Arabs, citizens of Israel, call for an end to disinformation and speak up about free and dignified life in a democratic state. Muslim-majority countries and Muslim organizations officially adopt the broad definition of anti-Semitism developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance to fight the hatred legally.

All this gives us hope that even the most difficult and seemingly insoluble disagreements sooner or later come to an end. We hope that this reconciliation and our honest interfaith dialogue will serve as an inspiration to the rest of the world. That is what the Torah commands us to do – to inspire others by our own example and thereby change the world for the better,” added the EAJC Director General.

As part of the official visit, the delegation of the Congress, together with the chief Sephardic and Ashkenazi rabbis of Israel Yitzhak Yosef and David Lau, took part in a festive event dedicated to the 18th anniversary of the Astana synagogue, meeting with the leaders of the local Jewish community.

 

In addition, on the morning of September 15, EAJC leaders took part in a tree-planting ceremony in the new Peace and Harmony park. As part of the working meetings, the leaders of the Congress talked with the Chairman of the Senate of the Republic of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbayev, rabbis from the regions of Kazakhstan, American rabbi Marc Schneier, executive vice-chairman of the Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations Malcolm Hoenlein and executive vice-president of the National American Conference in Support of Eurasian Jewry Mark Levin.

Euro-Asian Jewish Congress mourns the death of Queen Elizabeth II

Photo: Michael Garnett

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress mourns the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

On behalf of the EAJC leaders and, President of the Congress Dr. Michael Mirilashvili sent a letter to British Ambassador to Israel Mr. Neil Wigan:

“Dear Mr. Ambassador,

May I express on behalf of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress my deepest condolences on the passing of Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II.

Shortly after the Platinum Jubilee of Queen’s service it’s truly heartbreaking and very hard to comprehend.

The Queen lived a remarkable live, she represented the whole historical epoch, being at service at most vulnerable and exciting times. She truly was and forever will remain in our hearts and in the blessed memory as a role model and a symbol of great leadership, wisdom and modesty.

May I again express our condolences to you and all the British nation, United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms. We mourn together and pray for you at these difficult times”.

EAJC condemns Mahmoud Abbas’ ’50 Holocausts’ remark

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during his visit to Berlin on August 16 made several anti-Israeli statements. During the press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, he refused to condemn refused to condemn a deadly attack by Palestinian militants on Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, in which Palestinian militants killed 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team. Instead, Abbas said that Israel “committed 50 holocausts against Palestinians over the years” and called the Jewish state an “apartheid state.”

This statement caused a storm of indignation among the Israeli Government and Jewish community leaders around the world. Thus, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid noted that the statement of Abbas “is not only a moral disgrace, but also a monstrous distortion of history.” Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz called Abbas’ words “deceitful and disgusting.” “An attempt to equate the actions of the Nazis and their assistants, who sought to destroy the Jewish people, with the actions of the IDF, which protects the country’s citizens from cruel terror, is Holocaust denial,” he said.

Euro-Asian Jewish Congress strongly condemns the Palestinian leader’s statement and considers it absolutely unacceptable. Such views can have dangerous consequences and fuel antisemitism.

“Attempts to distort the memory of the terrible Holocaust tragedy are an absolutely unacceptable practice that has no place in the modern world. As we can see, people who make such statements act despite of objective facts and evidence, they are not interested in historical truth. They substitute reality based on their momentary political interests. Such manipulations are unacceptable, since their destructive side effect is the incitement of antisemitic sentiments in society,” said EAJC President Dr. Michael Mirilashvili.

EAJC congratulates President and Prime Minister of India on Independence Day

President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Dr. Michael Mirilashvili congratulated Mrs. Droupadi Murmu, the President of India and Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India on Independence Day.

A greeting letter to the President reads the following:

“Relations between our states and nations are developing dynamically and getting stronger. We could admit a great confirmation of this process last month when you, Mr. Prime Minister, your Israeli colleague, US President and United Arab Emirates President agreed to work together on food security and clean energy, tech, and trade, among other issues. Particularly, we appreciate that India will take part in global efforts to reduce food waste and spoilage, conserve fresh water, and employ renewable energy sources. According to the experts opinion, our union is well-launched idea with real potential in terms of innovation, business and keeping a peaceful world order. Let these words be proved by our states in practice!”

The Taglit program marks the milestone of 800,000 participants

The Taglit – Birthright Israel project, called to acquaint Jewish youth from all over the world with Israel, has crossed the line of 800,000 participants in 23 years of its existence, as stated by its leaders during the annual mega-event at Tel Aviv EXPO. 3,000 young participants, guests and sponsors from 13 countries took part in the event. For the first time since the two-year COVID-19 pandemic it was held offline. Major philanthropist Dr. Miriam Edelson and Birthright Israel CEO Gidi Mark addressed the audience during the event.

Taglit – Birthright Israel is a ten-day tour for youth with Jewish roots. The goal is to introduce participants to historical Israeli sights, its modern life, youth, students and soldiers, as well as to tell young Jews of the Diaspora about Jewish history and heritage, in order to form or develop their Jewish identity.

According to the Birthright Israel Foundation, participants from over 68 states are participating in the 10-day trip. Among them are the countries of the Euro-Asian region. The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress announced its sponsorship of the Taglit project in 2018. Thanks to this decision, hundreds of Jewish boys and girls from Euro-Asian communities were able to visit Israel as part of an educational trip. Many of them visited Israel for the first time.

“As the President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, I am glad that we are part of this unique project — the acquaintance of the Jews of the Diaspora with the State of Israel. Taglit participants have an exceptional opportunity to get to know our historical homeland in such a short time. Whether this trip will remain just an entertainment or become something bigger for them is a matter of choice. More important is that in the heart of every Jew, wherever he or she is, there will be a place for this country, for connection with Jewish nation. Often, our unique history and tradition are discovered by Taglit participants for the first time and become kind of a revelation for them – and this is exactly the foundation on which we can build our common Jewish future,” said EAJC President Dr. Michael Mirilashvili.

Photo: Erez Uzir/courtesy of Birthright Israel

EAJC welcomes US President Joe Biden in Israel

EAJC leaders warmly welcome US President Joe Biden’s decision to visit Israel and sign the “Jerusalem Declaration on the US-Israel Strategic Partnership.” The document will definitely help build a solid foundation for cooperation between countries for years to come. With this agreement, the White House intends to prove its strict commitment to Israel’s security, strengthening its military potential to deter external threats.

We sincerely hope that the subsequent presidential visit to Saudi Arabia will continue the process of normalization in the region. The expansion of the “Abraham Accords”, which made it possible to strengthen the relations of a number of Arab states with Israel, no longer seems an unattainable goal. Just two years ago, the conclusion of a peace treaty brought to life what had seemed impossible for decades. Thus began a new chapter in the history of the Middle East. And today we are its active participants.

We also note that an essential part of the Israeli-American declaration of partnership will be an agreement on technological cooperation. In this area, Israel becomes the fourth state after Great Britain, Japan and Australia, with which the United States establishes such close ties. We welcome active diplomatic moves that strengthen US-Israel relations.

Condolences on the assassination of ex-Japanese PM Shinzo Abe

Photo: CSIS | Center for Strategic & International Studies

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress leaders pay sincere condolences to people and government of Japan on the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe (67). He was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister and led the government from 2012 to 2020. He was shot in the city of Nara while speaking at a rally ahead of parliamentary elections. Abe was the great friend of Israel. This unexpected and cynic murder shocked the whole Jewish Community all over the world.

“Mr. Abe brought the relations between our counties to a new level. He genuinely respected our people and country. We all remember his historical visit back in 2018 that opened the new page in relations between our countries. His distinguished legacy will stay with us despite this horrible murder.

Shinzo Abe will forever remain in our hearts and in the blessed memory as a huge leader and wise colleague. We pray together with Japan people in these dark times”, wrote the EAJC president Dr. Michael Mirilashvili in the address to the Japan ambassador to Israel.