#WeRemember

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress and its leaders, Jewish communities and organizations of the region join the annual #WeRemember campaign of the World Jewish Congress dedicated to the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Today, as on all other days, we remember the terrible catastrophe that befell the Jewish people during the Second World War and the irreparable loss of six million of our brothers and sisters, our family, perished in the horrors of the Holocaust.

We remember and pass this memory on.

shoah.eajc.org/en/project/weremember

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Condolences to Herzog family for the passing of Aura Herzog

Euro-Asian Jewish Congress pays sincere condolences to Isaac Herzog, the president of Israel, and his family on the passing of his mother and wife of the sixth president, Chaim Herzog, Aura Herzog. She was 97.

It is truly irreversible loss for Israel and for the Jewish people. Aura Herzog was a prominent public figure, one of the most active figures in the Israel society. Among her other achievements, it is worth noting the establishment in 1969 of The Council for a Beautiful Israel, aimed to improve the quality of life of all people in Jewish state.

29/12/1985 Photo: ארכיון דן הדני, האוסף הלאומי לתצלומים על שם משפחת פריצקר, הספרייה הלאומית Dan Hadani Collection, The Pritzker Family National Photography Collection, The National Library of Israel. Courtesy of Sharir Efi.

Aura was born in Egypt. She immigrated to Israel in 1946 and joined the Haganah movement. Then she started studying at the diplomatic school just founded by the Jewish agency. In 1947 Ora married the future president Chaim Herzog. During the Independence War Ora Herzog served in intelligence.

In the 1950s and 1970s she lived in the US, during the service of Chaim Herzog as military attaché in Washington and Israel’s ambassador to the UN.

From 1983 to 1993 Aura Herzog was the first lady of Israel. At the end of her husband’s second presidential term in 1993, she headed the public commission for organizing official events in honor of the 50th anniversary of independence and worked for various public organizations.

After her husband’s death in 1997, Aura Herzog founded a non-profit organization Yad Chaim Herzog, whose mission is to perpetuate the legacy of Israel’s sixth president.

“Dear Mr. President, we deeply mourn with your family. Mrs. Herzog will forever remain in our hearts and in the blessed memory,” – said in his personal address to the Israeli President Itzhak Herzog Dr. Michael Mirilashvili, the president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day to become official memorable date in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan will become one of the few Muslim-majority countries to officially celebrate the InternationalHolocaust Remembrance Day on January 27. This was stated by the President of the Republic Ilham Aliyev during a meeting with the President of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, Rabbi Mark Schneier, who is a well-known supporter of the Judeo-Muslim interfaith dialogue. The head of Azerbaijan also promised support to the country’s only Jewish school “Or Avner” in Baku, which has recently experienced financial difficulties.

According to Mark Schneier, at the meeting he asked Aliyev to take this step – and the President readily agreed. According to the rabbi, the head of Azerbaijan instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs to prepare commemorative events in cooperation with the Israeli Ambassador.

Mark Schneier called President Aliyev’s decision “a stunning example of good relations at the highest level.” The representative of the Alliance of Rabbis in Muslim Countries Shneur Segal thanked Ilham Aliyev for taking care of the Jewish community.

President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Dr. Michael Mirilashvili addressed the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, with a letter of gratitude:

“Dear Mr. President,

On behalf of the leaders of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress and on myself, I would like to express my gratitude for your decision to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the state level. This decision will be a shining example for other countries in preserving the memory of the Holocaust. Let me also express my deep gratitude for the intention to support the Or Avner Jewish school in Baku.

For more than a thousand years, Jews have lived in Azerbaijan in a friendly environment and peace. Many representatives of the Jewish community of Azerbaijan took an active part in the political, cultural, social and economic life of the republic. We are grateful to you for your wise national policy and consistent tough stance in the worldwide fight against anti-Semitism. We appreciate your numerous efforts in the development and strengthening of friendly relations and economic ties between Azerbaijan and Israel. We are convinced that the Jewish community of Azerbaijan will continue developing for the benefit of their country.”

TAU hosted a conference in honor of the 30th anniversary of the restoration Russian-Israeli diplomatic ties

On December 15, Tel Aviv University hosted a conference dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the restoration of Russian-Israeli diplomatic relations. The event was organized by Tel Aviv University in cooperation with the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, and attended by the Russian Embassy in Israel and the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Leading researchers, diplomats, statesmen from the Russian Federation and Israel discussed issues of cooperation between the two countries, analyzed the current state of affairs and presented reports on joint scientific achievements.

The conference was attended by the President of Tel Aviv University prof. Ariel Porat, Director of the Euro-Asian Department at the Israeli Foreign Ministry Yakov Livne, Ambassador of Russia to Israel Anatoly Viktorov, EAJC President Dr. Michael Mirilashvili, EAJC Board Chairman Aaron G. Frenkel, EAJC Director General Dr. Haim Ben Yakov and other guests of honor.

President of Tel Aviv University prof. Ariel Porat noted the special connection between Russia and Israel in the field of science and culture, which is a strong advantage in building diplomatic bridges. An illustrative example of this, according to him, is, in particular, a conference that took place at the Moscow State University in July 2018 “Mishpat Ivri: past, present and future”, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Society “Mishpat Ivri” in Moscow. The event summed up a long period of scholarly work in the field of Jewish law.

In addition, prof. Porat announced a unique exhibition in honor of the 100th anniversary of the “The Dybbuk” play premiere . The exposition “The Dybbuk, Vakhtangov and Habima” is a joint project of the Vakhtangov theater in Moscow and the Israel Center for Documentation of the Performing Arts at Tel Aviv University in partnership with the Gabay theatrical archive. Exhibition will present the full history of “The Dybbuk” – from premiere in Moscow and foreign tours of the 1920s and 1930s to the modern Israeli scene. Unique artifacts, sketches and scenarios, costumes and photographs – all this can be seen by the audience of the Vakhtangov theater from 1 to 12 February 2022. The organizers of the exhibition are the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Tel Aviv University, Vakhtangov theater, Israeli Embassy in Russia and others.

“It should be noted that the USSR was the first country that de jure recognized the State of Israel in May 1948. Of course, there have been ups and downs in the history of our relationship. At the same time, today we can confidently assert that Russian-Israeli mutually beneficial cooperation has passed the test of time and continues to actively develop in all areas,” said Anatoly Viktorov, Russian Ambassador to Israel.

Welcoming the guests of the conference, Dr. Michael Mirilashvili stressed the importance of preserving information about the common history of Russia and Israel. He noted that the Congress has supported a number of research projects in this area in recent years. Among them is the declaration signed by the governments of the two countries in 2015 on the joint publication of Soviet-Israeli documents from 1954 until the break of diplomatic ties in 1967.

“The documents to be published in the near future will make it possible to comprehend the extremely tense relations between the USSR and Israel. It is important that reputable scientists from Russia and Israel are working together on this initiative. We are honored to support this project. As we can see, scientific contacts are playing a major role for the development of modern interstate relations, ” the EAJC President said.

The head of the Israeli editors, a researcher at Tel Aviv University, Dr. Boris Morozov, presented a project itself. According to the researcher, the state archives of Israel and Russia have declassified about 2,000 unique documents relating to the period 1954-1967. Among them – the code of the telegram of the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, which led to a break in relations in 1967, as well as the decree on changing the “line towards Israel” from 1989 signed by the USSR Secretary General Gorbachev. The project will unveil documents related to the Suez Crisis, the Six Day War, the Israeli struggle for the repatriation of Soviet Jewry and the creation of a mass movement in support of it.

Yakov Livne, director of the Euro-Asian department at the Israeli Foreign Ministry, also commented on the project, drawing attention to the “deep nature” of relations between the two countries. “The main achievement in our relations is that now we can speak openly about what happened in the past, including not the most pleasant pages of our common history, as now we have nothing to hide,” Livne said.

EAJC Board Chairman Aaron G. Frenkel spoke about the dispatch of the first aircrafts for USSR repatriates, which were partially organized by him. “We worked in cooperation with Soviet airlines even before the restoration of diplomatic relations. These connections remain to this day. The history of the repatriation of Soviet Jews and relations between Russia and Israel is, in my opinion, a direct embodiment of the expression that dreams come true. In the late 1980s, we simply could not believe that the Russian ambassador would sit here at Tel Aviv University and talk about the close ties between our countries,” said Aaron G. Frenkel.

At the event Israeli scientists also made reports on the study of the Russian language at Tel Aviv University, as well as on joint interstate projects in the field of geology and archeology.

Global leaders discussed Jewish issues on the 3rd Kiev Jewish Forum

On December 15-16, the 3rd Kyiv Jewish Forum, organized by the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine in cooperation with the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), the Center for Jewish Impact and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, was held.

This year, the KJF was devoted to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Ukraine. The first day of the forum was attended by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Israel Yitzhak Herzog, President of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder, President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Mivchael Mirilashvili, President of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine Boris Lozhkin, ambassadors of states, politicians, public figures, philanthropists and others guests of honor.

The second day of the forum was attended by the Minister of Construction of Israel Zeev Elkin, Minister of Diaspora Affairs of Israel Nachman Shai, Minister of Aliyah and Integration Pnina Tamano-Shete, Minister of Tourism of Israel Yoel Razvozov and other political and public figures.

Address of the EAJC President Michael Mirilavshili to the organizers and participants of the Kiev Jewish Forum:

“Dear friends.

I am glad to welcome the organizers and participants of the third Kiev Jewish Forum. First of all, I would like to thank our dear partner and friend, First Vice-President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Boris Lozhkin for this important initiative. Over the years, the Kiev Jewish Forum has become a major event in the Jewish world and we are happy to take part in it.

This year the Forum is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between independent Ukraine and the State of Israel. A new chapter began for our states 30 years ago. However, relations between our peoples have been developing for centuries. The history of the Jewish people on Ukrainian soil goes back a long time, and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress is making great efforts to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of Ukrainian Jewry. We also pay great attention to the development of Jewish communities and provide support to social and educational projects in Ukraine. We sincerely hope for the further development of good relations between our countries and between our peoples.

In recent years, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress has acted as a partner in a number of important initiatives of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine, headed by Boris Lozhkin.

Recently, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy, we published the book Righteous Among the Nations. Ukraine” about the Ukrainian citizens who saved Jews during the Holocaust.

As part of the ‘Jewish Library’ project, the bestsellers on the history of the Jewish state and biographies of its leaders are being published in Ukrainian language.

Another significant joint project is the creation of the Institute for the Ukrainian Jewry Research Institute at Tel Aviv University, whose mission is to study the history and culture of Jews on territory of Ukraine from the Middle Ages to the present day.

We are glad to continue to cooperate with the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine for the benefit of one of the largest Jewish communities in the post-Soviet space and are grateful to Boris Lozhkin for his great contribution to the present and future of Ukrainian Jewry.

I wish all the forum participants successful and fruitful work. We are doing an important job and with God’s help we will succeed!”

EAJC leaders met with Yad Vashem Chairman of the Board Dani Dayan

On December 8, the President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Dr. Michael Mirilashvili and the EAJC General Director Dr. Haim Ben Yaakov held a meeting with the Chairman of the Board of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Complex Dani Dayan. During the meeting, the parties outlined plans for the future and discussed a number of important areas of joint work, including the issue of study and preservation of the memory of the Holocaust and World War II.

Dani Dayan was appointed Chairman of the Board of Yad Vashem by the Israeli Government in August 2021. He previously served as Israel’s Consul General in New York. Prior to joining the US diplomatic service, Dayan was a member of the Yad Vashem public council.

As the leaders of the EAJC noted during the meeting, the Congress pays special attention to studying the Holocaust and supporting former prisoners of ghettos and concentration camps, preserving memory and combating Holocaust denial. The EAJC is active in public diplomacy, encouraging state leaders to formulate a clear and consistent policy of preserving historical memory.

Leaders of the EAJC and Yad Vashem also discussed educational and cultural projects of the EAJC, launched in close cooperation between the two organizations in recent years.

One of them is the The Moshe Mirilashvili Center for Research on the Holocaust in the Soviet Union at the Yad Vashem memorial complex, which began its work in May 2016. The Center aims to initiate and promote innovative research in the Jewish history during the Second World War in the territories that were part of the USSR at the time of the Nazi Germany invasion on June 22, 1941.

At the meeting, a book by one of the Center’s researchers, historian Aaron Schneier, “Captivity”, was presented. The book tells about the fate of Soviet prisoners of war and examines the issue of service and the role of Jews in the Red Army before, during and after WWII. Separate chapters of the book talk about anti-Semitism and its causes in the pre-war years, as well as during the war in the rear and at the front.

The promotion of the Holocaust history in culture was discussed as well. One of the projects designed to fulfill this task is the movie “Sobibor”, the international release of which was supported by the EAJC. The film is based on real events that took place during the Second World War in the Sobibor extermination camp in Poland.

Another project, supported by the EAJC, won and award at the Moscow Jewish Film Festival in October this year. The animated movie “263 Nights” was awarded in the category “Best Documentary Short Film”. It reveals the story of 26 people hiding from the horrors of the Nazi occupation of Minsk in a dug basement for 263 days.

The EAJC pays considerable attention to educational projects about the Holocaust. These are online resources for perpetuating the memory of the victims of the besieged Leningrad (“Memory of the besieged Leningrad”) and a collection of educational materials about the history of the Holocaust (“SHOA”).

On the personal initiative of the EAJC President, Dr. Mikhail Mirilashvili, EAJC has been providing support to a number of associations of veterans and invalids of the Second World War in Israel and on the territory of the former USSR.

The International Public Organization of Jewish Former Juvenile Prisoners of Ghettos and Nazi Concentration Camps has been a member of the EAJC for many years and is engaged in medical and socio-psychological support of former prisoners, as well as preserving and transmitting the living memory of the Holocaust to the younger generation.

Yad Vashem Board Chairman Dani Dayan supported the initiatives of the EAJC leaders and expressed readiness to continue active cooperation between the Yad Vashem memorial complex and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.

A square named after General Yaakov Kreizer was opened in Israel

On December 1, in the city of Lod, for the first time in the history of Israel, one of the city squares was named in honor of the Jewish Soviet general, Yakov Kreizer. The ceremony in Lod was attended by the Ambassador of Russia to Israel Anatoly Viktorov, Director General of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Dr. Chaim Ben Yaakov, Chairman of the Russian Jewish Congress Yuri Kaner, Board Member of the RJC Yuri Dombrovsky, Chairman of the Maalot Association David Shekhter, Mayor of Loda Yair Revivo, Deputy Mayor of Loda Elvira Kalikhman.

The square in the new district of Lod, where many immigrants from the former USSR live, have received the official name “Victory Square in memory of General Yakov Kreizer”. The project was initiated by the Ma’alot Association. The proposal to name the square after General Kreiser was addressed to the municipalities of Lod and Ashdod. In the near future, it is also planned to open a square in Ashdod.

The Ma’alot Association, which aims to create the Center for the Heritage of the Soviet Jews, conducts a wide range of activities aimed at deepening in Israeli society the understanding of the contribution of the USSR Jews to the creation and development of Israel. One of the projects aimed at this was the Ma’alot campaign to perpetuate in Israel the memory of the war hero, the “modern Maccabeus” General Jacob Kreiser. It was not by chance that Ma’alot chose Hanukkah for holding the Kreiser Week in Israel, during which numerous events dedicated to the general have already taken place and will take place. The project was supported by the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, donors Yuri Dombrovsky, Yuri Zelvensky, Yakov Soskin and Arkady Mayofis.

“We must remember that the Jews in that war were not only victims, but also heroes: one and a half million Jews served in the armies of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, more than half a million in the Red Army, tens of thousands fought in partisan detachments, hundreds of thousands died in battles. 305 The generals and admirals of the Red Army were Jews. Today we are actively talking about this, thereby restoring justice and preserving the historical truth, ” – commented EAJC President Dr. Mikhail Mirilashvili.

Yaakov Kreizer (1905-1969) became the first commander of the Red Army to be awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. For 12 days, his division held back Guderian’s tanks on the Berezina, which saved Moscow and allowed tens of thousands of Jews to evacuate and avoid imminent death. In 1953, Kreiser was one of the few prominent Jews who refused to sign a letter urging Stalin to expel Soviet Jews to Siberia and the Far East.

The 3rd Kiev Jewish Forum will be held on December 15-16

The third annual Kyiv Jewish Forum is scheduled to take place on Dec. 15-16, featuring senior leaders from Ukraine, Israel, Europe and the United States.

The two-day virtual forum will coincide with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of official diplomatic relations between Israel and Ukraine. It is being co-hosted by the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine, the Center for Jewish Impact and the Combat Antisemitism Movement, according to a statement by the event organizers. The forum’s partner is traditionally the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.

Participants will include Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton, Housing and Construction Minister Ze’ev Elkin, Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai, Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov, EAJC President Michael Mirilashvili and ambassadors, politicians, public figures, philanthropists and others.

Among the topics to be discussed are relations between Ukraine, Israel and the global Jewish community, rising antisemitism and the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to the statement.

Last year, 83,000 people participated in the online Forum, including 500 leaders from Ukraine, Israel, the United States and Europe.

Registration for the forum and additional information is available on the forum page.

“Yad Sara Frenkel” Center for Emergency Medical Care won the annual ‘Leading Health Initiative’

‘Yad Sarah Frenkel’ Emergency Medicine Center won the annual ‘Leading Health Initiative’, hosted by Yediot Aharonot (ידיעות אחרונות), Ynet and Reboot Forum, for Leading Nonprofit Initiative and Public Health Contribution in Israel.

The ‘Yad Sara Frenkel’ Medical Center was established in Israel in 2017 with the support of businessman and philanthropist Aaron G. Frenkel, Chairman of the board of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. The center serves as an additional point of emergency medical care and helps to offload the emergency rooms of hospitals, providing similar care to a number of patients.

“There was no doubt about the crucial importance of well-coordinated medicine in any country before, but we all became especially convinced of this over the past two years, when the world was overtaken by a terrible health crisis. In such difficult moments public initiatives should come to the aid of the state system and we are responsible for the common cause of preserving life and health in the State of Israel. I am glad that our successfully operating center is fulfilling its mission and I am grateful to the organizers of the competition for their acclaim,” said Aaron G. Frenkel.

Last year EAJC Chairman of the Board Aaron G. Frenkel played an important role in overcoming Israel’s pandemic crisis by providing five cargo planes filled with medical equipment, as well as donating 14 million shekels to fight COVID-19.

EAJC welcomes the decision of German Government to provide The Leningrad Siege survivors with pensions

On the photo: Special Negotiator Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat speaking during 2018 negotiations with the German government. Photo: Jason Colston (Claims Conference)

The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference), announced that, in an important achievement for survivors, first-time pensions have been allotted for Holocaust survivors who survived the Leningrad Siege as well as survivors who were in hiding in France and those who survived persecution in Romania, who are not currently receiving Shoah related pensions.

Gideon Taylor, President of the Claims Conference said, “Every year these negotiations become more and more critical, as this last generation of survivors age, their needs increase. We are thrilled to be able to expand the criteria for survivors again this year, including the first-time pensions for nearly 6,500 survivors. Even 75 years after the Holocaust, these symbolic payments provide recognition and restore a piece of the dignity taken from survivors in their youth.”

The newly negotiated region-specific pension program is open and currently receiving applications. Payments will be €375 ($443) per month.

“We welcome this decision and express our gratitude for the work carried out by our colleagues at the Claims Conference. Caring for survivors of the Holocaust and the most difficult events of World War II is an important part of the work of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. We support several organizations uniting World War II veterans living in Israel, including the Union of the Siege of Leningrad in Israel, and this is certainly great news for those who went through those terrible events and need support, “said the EAJC General Director and member of the Board of Directors of Claims Conference Dr. Haim Ben Yakov.

Earlier the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress supported the initiative of the Council of Veterans of the Second World War and the Union of the Siege of Leningrad in Israel to establish a monument dedicated to the heroes and victims of the Leningrad Siege in Jerusalem. The Candle of Remembrance Monument was unveiled on January 23, 2020 with the participation of senior officials from Israel and Russia.

150 thousand Jews shared the fate of the inhabitants of besieged Leningrad, many went to the front, about 70 thousand died. Today in Israel there are more than 1,300 Leningrad Siege survivors. At the opening ceremony of the monument, EAJC President Michael Mirilashvili, together with the head of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center Viktor Vekselberg, announced the start of a special program aimed at preserving historical memory and deepening mutual understanding between peoples.

Under the program, the book “Pages of the Siege Memories”, composed of the memories of people who survived the siege of Leningrad in childhood was translated into Hebrew and distributed to universities, schools and libraries in Israel. The book was also presented to 30 Knesset members.