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 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.
‘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.
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.
On the eve of the 80th anniversary of the Babi Yar tragedy, with the support of the EAJC, the book “Righteous Among the Nations. Ukraine”about the Ukrainians who saved Jews during the Holocaust was published. As part of the events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Babi Yar tragedy, the book was presented to the President of the State of Israel, Yitzhak Herzog.
The book “Righteous among the Nations of the World. Ukraine ”contains about 2700 names of Ukrainians who saved Jews during the Holocaust. This is a complete list of Ukrainians officially recognized today by the Israeli Holocaust Memorial Complex Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. This title on behalf of the State of Israel has been awarded by a special commission since 1963 to non-Jews who helped Jews during the Holocaust. Today, about 27,000 people have already been recognized as Righteous in the world. Ukraine ranks 4th in terms of the number of the Righteous.
All the names of the Righteous Ukrainians in the book are grouped by region, the book contains stories of the salvation and photos of the Righteous themselves.
The book was initiated by the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine and published by the publishing house “Our Format” with the support of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Complex, the Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Center and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. PDF-version of the book is available.
“There are about 2,700 names of the Righteous Ukrainians in the book, who have been officially recognized as such to date by Yad Vashem. In addition to the complete list of the Righteous for each region of Ukraine, we have also given individual stories of the salvation of Jews and published photos of the Righteous themselves,” – said the first vice-president of the EAJC, President of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine, Boris Lozhkin.
“During the terrible years of World War II, there were people who could not remain indifferent to the tragedy of the Jewish people. And, thankfully, there were a lot of them. More than two and a half thousand righteous people are officially recognized in Ukraine. We must remember this and pay tribute to each of them. Therefore, it was especially important for us and our colleagues from the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine to publish this book, which we have the honor to present today,” – said EAJC President Dr. Mikhail Mirilashvili.
President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Dr. Michael Mirilashvili took part in the 10th annual Jerusalem Post The Future is Now conference. This year’s conference speakers were also Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Benet, Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder and many other honored guests.
The conference traditionally celebrates the Israel’s innovation and successes and this year mainly focused on how Israel went from ‘Start-up Nation’ to Vaccination Nation’, becoming a light and a mentor to the world’s fight over pandemics.
During the Conference speakers and panelists discussed the healthcare, economic and security challenges plaguing Israel, and the growing gap between Israelis and Diaspora Jews.
You can find the full recording of the conference as well as the speech of the EAJC President Dr. Mirilashvili with a full transcript below.
“Dear colleagues and friends!
For those gathered today and for today’s Jewish generation of the former USSR it is hard to imagine the situation in which Jews of the region found themselves relatively recently. Being a minority, cut off of significant contacts with world Jewry, international Jewish organizations, and the State of Israel.
Given that the Jews who found themselves behind the “Iron Curtain” were always remembered, they were prayed for, a symbolic empty seat was left for them at the Passover table, while the struggle for the rights and freedom of Soviet Jews became perhaps the most inspiring and unifying factor for the Jewish world at the time.
Zionist ideologists, way before the founding of the State of Israel dreamed of the central role of the new Jewish state in the Jewish world. Even back then it was obvious that not every Jew in the world would decide to live in a Jewish state and therefore the question of building relations between the diaspora on the one hand and the state of the entire Jewish people, on the other would certainly arise.
One of the models of these relations is to build a politically and economically strong state, advanced in the fields of science and culture that would serve as an inspiration for the entire Jewish world. The Jewish State was predestined to become not only the “light for all nations”, but for the Jews outside of Israel as well. And if 70 years ago the young state had to fight for its existence, solving lots of internal problems, today it’s not the case, and Israel must revise its role in the relations with the diaspora.
Today Israel is already perceived as a country that brings “light to the nations” in various fields: in social field, technologies and innovations, thinking ‘outside the box’ it terms of solving the most complex modern issues. As a businessman working in many countries, I see it with my own eyes every day. The Israelis are often seen today as some miracle workers, capable of solving almost everything.
Meaning not only transformation of air into water, which one of my business companies is successfully doing, but also the transformation of yesterday’s enemies into our friends and partners. Peace treaties signed recently opened new horizons, for cultural, academic and business cooperation, tourism as well, and as for UAE and Bahrain, the Jewish life started flourishing there with renewed vigor.
Given this, the following is quite obvious for us: the stronger the diaspora — the stronger the Israel. Last week we were in Kiev, where the tragedy of Babi Yar was commemorated. A huge tragedy of Jewish people and the entire world was once more remembered. I do mean it when I say it was a tragedy for the whole world. It’s because we shall not look at the Jewish people and Jewish State separately from the rest of the world. The fate of Israel is strongly connected to the fate of the entire world. If Israel suffers — unfortunately the world suffers as well. If Israel prospers — the world only benefits from this.
Today the impact of Israel in the world is undeniably tremendous. But the Jewish diaspora gained its power as well and today it’s stronger than ever. We have to use this strength and impact wisely not only for the sake of our people, but for the sake of the entire humanity. And that’s exactly what we try to do today.
But there is a danger, that our tradition warns us of. When we succeed and things go well we tend to forget where our success comes from. We often become too proud of ourselves, we forget who we have to be really grateful for this. And finally how to use it properly. We should and even must unite and use our power for the sake of the humanity, to solve truly global problems.
And I would like to share with you one recent example. Recently we were addressed at the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress by several European leaders, who asked us to help them get refugees out of Afghanistan. At first I was surprised and thought how are we supposed to help them? Why do such powerful states turn to us and search for help? But they were right. Several Jewish leaders from different countries united to solve this issue, and helped the group of refugees to leave the country and eventually find the asylum. I was not among those who helped, but I know them personally and I’m very proud of this. It shows us once more how being united and joining forces can help us do real wonders for the sake of Jewish people and the rest of the world.
And that’s why we are here, that is our calling and our mission. So I call for you one more time: let’s unite for the sake of the humanity.
Finally, I would also like to express my gratitude to the leadership and the team of the Jerusalem Post for organizing this event at the highest level. Thank you!”
On October 5-6 the delegation of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress including the EAJC President Dr. Mikhail Mirilashvili, the EAJC board chairman Aaron G. Frenkel, and the EAJC Director General Dr. Haim Ben Yakov participated in a series of events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Babi Yar massacre. As part of the Jewish community of Moldova delegation, the EAJC vice-presidents Alexander Bilinkis and Emmanuel Grinshpun also took part in the events.
With the support of EAJC and the The Jewish Confederation of Ukraine a film festival «Holocaust. We remember» was held. The festival was opened with a film of Switzerland and Germany joint production titled «When Hitler stole pink rabbit». The film tells a story of a nine-year-old girl Anna, who had to leave Berlin with her family because of Nazi persecution in 1933, leaving her favourite toy, a stuffed rabbit. 5 films produced by the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Switzerland, Germany, France, Canada, the Czech Republic, Belarus and Russia were presented during the festival, among them an animated film «263 nights», produced with the support of the EAJC, was shown.
“The Holocaust is a very difficult topic to deal with. Each of these films reveals emotional, cultural, artistic aspects of the Shoa. In presenting new stories, facts and perspectives we bring novelty to the topic, continue it, keep it alive. Today it is essential to present information in different formats. The visual art can help to represent the most difficult historical events”, said the EAJC Director General Dr. Haim Ben Yakov.
“In the terrible years of the Second World War, there were people who could not remain indifferent to the tragedy of the Jewish people. More than 2,500 the Righteous Among the Nations are officially recognized in Ukraine. We have to pay tribute and respect to each and every one of them. Therefore it was essential for us and our colleagues from the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine to publish the book «The Righteous Among the Nations. Ukraine», which we have the honour to present today”, said Dr.Mikhail Mirilashvili, the President of EAJC.
The memorial to the victims of the massacre in Babi Yar was inaugurated on October 6. The ceremony was attended by the Presidents of Ukraine, Israel, Germany and Albania as well as other dignitaries.
Ukraine was the first country to be visited by Israeli President-elect Yitzhak Herzog in June 2021 to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the diplomatic relations’ establishment between the State of Israel and the countries of the FSU. During the visit, Yitzhak Herzog had a meeting with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. With the support of EAJC, a special reception and an opening ceremony of the Jewish National Fund representation in Ukraine were held.
“Strengthening the relations between the State of Israel and the Diaspora countries is one of the focus of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. We hope that the visit of the President of Israel to Ukraine will be a good start of our cooperation for the benefit of the State of Israel and the Jewry of the Diaspora”, said the President of EAJC Dr.Mikhail Mirilashvili.
Today, a group of 40 Afghan residents have been successfully granted asylum in Canada. The issue was settled in common effort of government officials from several countries and the international humanitarian agency IsraAID, which helps the most vulnerable people in the world. Chairman of the Board of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Aaron G. Frenkel and Honorary President of the EAJC Alexander Mashkevich also made a great contribution to facilitating this process.
“When some worrying events occur in the world, such as a situation in Afghanistan today, we, as the Jewish people, have no right to stand aside, and if it is within our power to provide assistance to the victims, we feel our duty to come to the rescue. We are very glad that 40 people today regained their hope for a new life,” said EAJC Board Chairman Aaron G. Frenkel.
The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress congratulates Aaron G. Frenkel, Chairman of the EAJC Board, on his birthday.
Dear Aaron,
On behalf of the heads of communities and organizations, members of the Board and the EAJC team, please accept our heartfelt congratulations and wishes of great success in all your endeavors, inspiration and happiness.
We are very grateful to you for your long-term support and active participation in the life of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, which made it possible to implement many EAJC projects and social initiatives. Your contribution to the prosperity of the Jewish people and the State of Israel is truly enormous.
We wish you blessings in all your good deeds, so that you continue to inspire us with your example until 120!
On September 5, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress gathered leaders of communities and organizations in the region online to congratulate them on the upcoming High Holidays.
The meeting was attended by EAJC President Dr. Michael Mirilashvili, EAJC Board Chairman Aaron G. Frenkel, EAJC General Director Dr. Haim Ben Yaakov, heads of communities and member organizations of the Congress. Representatives of the Jewish community of the United Arab Emirates also attended the meeting as observers.
“There is a meaning in so that we wish a sweet new year and dip apples in honey in a traditional meal on Rosh Hashanah. Our tradition prescribes us to do this so that we fully experience what a truly good year can await us, if we spend it in a right manner, doing good deeds, helping others, doing everything that is required of us. I want to thank you all for your great dedication and work for the benefit of the Jewish future in our region and wish you that the year will be exactly as we will imagine it, while eating traditional ‘simanim’ of the Rosh Hashanah,” – said the EAJC President Dr. Michael Mirilashvili.
“Rosh Hashanah symbolizes a new beginning, and we hope that in the coming year, unlike previous ones, we will finally be able to see each other live,” said EAJC Chairman of the Board Aaron G. Frenkel.
In a special video address, the President of Israel, Yitzhak Herzog also congratulated the leaders of the Jewish Diaspora:
