Jewish communities of Euro-Asian region celebrate Passover

Ma nishtana? What has changed this night? Actually a lot! There was no such Passover in the history of the Jewish people. However, despite the restrictions associated with the coronavirus pandemic, the Jewish communities and organizations of the Euro-Asian region managed to hold a Seder and celebrate Pesach in a way that is still special and meaningful.

 

The Jewish community of Kazakhstan

Online Seder, organized by the Jewish community of Kazakhstan on the online platform of the Rimon Jewish community center (Almaty), gathered more than 60 people from Russia, Germany, Israel, Moldova, and Kazakhstan.

The participants prepared everything necessary for the Seder: each table was decorated with the Seder Plate – a special plate containing symbolic Pesach foods. Young community leaders talked about the importance of Passover in Jewish tradition; adults taught kids the fascinating story of Pesach.

During the online Shabbat meetings, the community helped those wishing to recall Pesach traditions and prepare for Seder. In the following days of the eight-day holiday, activists of the Kazakhstan Jewish community continued to discuss Pesach traditions in classes and on discussion platforms of the youth and family club of the Rimon Jewish community center while the community volunteers introduced the holiday traditions for the kids from the virtual development center, operating at the community kindergarten of Almaty.

Hillel Russia

Hillel Russia launched a special online program Pesach Doma, which, among other things, contains online materials for preparing the Seder and online consultations for developing a personalized Seder scenario.

Hillel Russia delivered 130 sets for the holding of Seder, and also released an online Agada available for free download.

The Hillel community leaders conducted an online Seder in Khabarovsk, Novosibirsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Saratov, Penza, and Yekaterinburg.

 

Hillel CASE

Hillel CASE organized a three-hour Passover marathon as part of the TEDx Online Shemot regional conference. 15 speakers told the participants about the history and traditions of the holiday, held educational quizzes and a master class on making matzah from scratch, and also offered recommendations for holding a Seder at home.

As part of the Cooking Battle project, Hillel Minsk held an online culinary battle dedicated to Passover: two chefs not only prepared Pesach dishes but also conducted an educational program on the history and traditions of the holiday.

During the three-day online seminar, students from Minsk and Odessa took part in a fascinating quest devoted to the history of Passover. Together, they went from slavery to freedom, tried to deal with their personal Egypt, and talked about the value of Eretz Israel.

Students of local Hillels took part in volunteer campaigns for the contactless delivery of matzah and Pesach sets.

 

All-Russian Union of Jewish Students (RUJS)

Activists of the All-Russian Union of Jewish Students together with the Moscow Jewish Community House (MEOD) and with the support of the EAJC, delivered matzah and kosher juice to the members of the Integration Project for Jewish children with disabilities and the Sheket program to assist deaf and hard-of-hearing Jews.

As part of the online meeting “Let my people go: what Kabbalah says about Pesach and the current situation,” Rabbi Alex Artovsky told Jewish students about the symbolism of Passover in a pandemic crisis.

 

The Jewish community of Azerbaijan

On the eve of Passover, the Jewish community of Azerbaijan came to the aid of single and needy: young community volunteers, provided with all the necessary protection, delivered gift parcels with kosher food and matzah for the Seder. Community volunteers liaise with older and single people to help them buy food or medicine if necessary. 

Special thanks go to the Rabbi Shneor Segal, the Chief Rabbi at the Jewish Community of European Jews Synagogue in Baku, and the EAJC Vice President, German Zakharyaev who initiated and organized the community’s activity during these difficult days.

 

The Jewish community of Albania 

Geront Kureta, president of the Albanian Jewish community, numbering about 50 people, sent warm congratulations to all EAJC communities and assured us that all members of the community, who mainly live in the capital of Albania, Tirana, are safe and sound. 

 

The Jewish community of Georgia

Volunteers and employees of the Jewish community of Tbilisi have stepped up to bring the Aggadah and matzah to the community members who are at risk from the coronavirus – sealed bags were left at the door. A community-organized online Seder has brought together about 25 families.

 

The Jewish community of Ukraine 

All-Ukrainian Jewish Congress, together with the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress made a joint decision to help Jewish communities and organizations of Ukraine to hold the Seder.

Despite the complicated situation dictating strict requirements, the community leaders, with the support of the EAJC, did everything possible to ensure a festive atmosphere in Jewish families. The EAJC leaders turned to the Ukrainian Jewish communities and organizations with a request to give maximum attention to the elderly and veterans. 

 

The Jewish community of Moldova

The Jewish community of Moldova invited everyone to the online Seder. Despite the difficulties, the community activists made sure that all Seder tables had matzah, while elderly and socially vulnerable members of the community received kosher food packages as well.

The community has launched a special hotline and is coordinating all the efforts, taking into account all Jewish organizations of Moldova. “These days, we provide assistance to everyone who needs it, and we will continue doing so, despite the prevailing difficult circumstances,” said Aleksandr Bilinkis, the president of the Jewish community of Moldova and the EAJC vice-president. The provides individual means of protection and food to members of the community who are at risk from coronavirus.

 

The Jewish community of Armenia

At the last moment, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress managed to deliver 300 kg of matzah to the Jewish community of Armenia. Head of the Jewish community of Armenia, Rima Varzhapetyan conveyed deep gratitude and greetings for Pesach: “We wish that the spark of hope never fades! Enjoy peace and happiness, love and prosperity, harmony and joy. We all can safely get out of captivity and quarantine. Hag Sameach!”

 

The Jewish Community of Croatia

These troubled days, we would like to especially greet the Jewish community Beit Israel in Zagreb, whose building was damaged by a recent powerful earthquake. The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress sent emergency financial assistance to repair the building. Hag Sameaсh!

 

Dear friends, stay home and take good care of yourself and your loved ones. We wish you health, good luck, and an early end to this unfortunate situation.

Tons of matzah delivered to Jewish communities of Euro-Asian region

Despite the difficulties associated with overcoming the coronavirus pandemic, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress delivered tons of matzah to the Jewish communities of the Euro-Asian region enabling Jews in India, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, and other countries to have matzah at their upcoming Passover seders.

We are grateful to all involved: the Director of the Or Avner International Fund, Rabbi Dovid Mondshayn as well as Merab Changchalashvili, Guram Batiashvili, Elena Berkovich, Alexander Baron, Rimma Vardzhapetyan, Shota Mireli, Irina Shcherban, Evgenia Lvova, Vladimir Kritsman, Alexander Suminuvendu Bilinisand Liliane Vukovich, Rabbi Arya Edelkopfu.

On Sunday, following negotiations with local authorities, more than 300 kg of matzah were transported from Georgia to the Jewish community in Armenia.

As part of an annual project that has operated for more than 15 years, EAJC provides matzah and other holiday essentials for needy and underprivileged members of the Jewish communities in the Euro-Asian region. This year, the project’s organizers received a record number of calls from communities experiencing more difficulty in accessing such items in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

EAJC support helped the Moscow Public Organization of former Jewish prisoners of the ghetto and Nazi concentration camps to acquire and deliver medicine, matzah and kosher-food packages. The head of the organization, Oleg Mortkovich, said that operational headquarters have already been set up, and that they remain in constant contact with the Holocaust survivors.

The Integration Project for Jewish children with disabilities in Moscow, as well as the Sheket program to assist deaf and hard-of-hearing Jews, have also received matzah and kosher juice as Passover gifts.

“In addition to the matzah supply, we have provided emergency financial assistance to the Jewish communities and organizations affiliated with the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress,” said president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Dr. Michael Mirilashvili. “The world is experiencing a pandemic, and we all need to mobilize so that Jewish life in the Diaspora does not fade away.”

“In the current situation, many of our sponsors could not provide donations, and we have to take emergency measures to support those who are vulnerable—many of whom are at risk from coronavirus. In such a difficult time, people will feel that they are not alone, and that the Jewish community thinks and cares about them,” said Irina Shcherban, head of the Moscow Jewish Community House and the Association of Jewish Community Centers of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Happy Passover from EAJC!

Today thousands of Jews in the Euro-Asian region are holding the Seder, celebrating the most sacred and significant Jewish festival of the year. This Seder night is unique since, like so much else in our lives now, it is remade due to the unusual circumstances of the pandemic. 

Instead of large gatherings of family and friends, many Seder feasts held at tables for four, two, or even one. So let us be inspired by the beauty of so many Jews from all over the world joining together in celebration of Pesach. This year we feel it even stronger.

Since many people experience difficulties sourcing traditional Pesach foods, we at the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress made sure that the Jews of the Euro-Asian region will have enough matzah for the holiday. 

The Seder is a marvel of Torah thought and Talmudic wisdom. It is a source of Jewish identity and a free creative spirit, a shared experience that pulls the Jewish people together. That is what it means to be a part of the Jewish people, as it always was and always will be.

Chag Pesach sameach, dear friends!

 

Dr. Michael Mirilashvili
President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress

 

EAJC congratulates Temur Ben Yehuda

Euro-Asian Jewish Congress wishes a happy birthday to the EAJC first vice-president, Temur Ben Yehuda (Khikhinashvili).

Dear Temur, we greatly appreciate our fruitful teamwork within the framework of the EAJC, and your long-term philanthropic activity for the benefit of the Jewish people can hardly be overestimated.

In these difficult days, please accept our warmest congratulations and wishes of health, happiness, enthusiasm, and further success in all your endeavors.

 

EAJC Vice President Boris Lozhkin provides medical staff with protection kits against coronavirus

EAJC Vice President, Boris Lozhkin, along with his wife, Nadezhda Shalomova, donated protection kits against coronavirus to the Institute of Otolaryngology named after prof. Kolomiychenko, Ukraine NAMS.

Boris Lozhkin noted that doctors and other healthcare workers are at the forefront of the fight against coronavirus, in the high-risk zone, therefore it is extremely important to ensure their safety first. The kit includes protective overalls, the latest generation of respirators, safety glasses, and disposable gloves.

The Institute of Otolaryngology employs the best Ukrainian specialists in the field that is the first to encounter coronavirus. “Therefore, it is so important to provide medical staff with the maximum means of protection so that they will be able to provide assistance to everyone in need,” Boris Lozhkin emphasized.

Pandemic opens a new page in Jewish philanthropy

Jewish communities and organizations, including social projects, faced considerable financial and organizational difficulties associated with the spread of the pandemic. Nevertheless, many of them are stepping up activities aimed at uniting the community and supporting people in these challenging times.

Irina Shcherban, head of the Moscow Jewish Community House and the Association of Jewish Community Centers of the CIS, about the activities of the Sheket program for deaf and hard-of-hearing Jews and the Integration project for Jewish children with disabilities: “In the current situation of the coronavirus pandemic, many of our sponsors could not transfer their donations, and we have to take emergency measures to support people, many of whom are at risk from coronavirus. We received emergency financial assistance from the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress; students from the All-Russian Union of Jewish Students (RUJS) and other volunteers are helping us to manage. Psychologists and social workers maintain daily contact with our wards, we try to solve their problems. These days, student volunteers from the All-Russian Union of Jewish Students are delivering matzah and juice for our wards as a little gift and joy for the upcoming Pesach. ”

Many social projects have stepped up their efforts to support people on these difficult days.

Oleg Mortkovich, the head of the Moscow Public Organization of Jewish former prisoners of the ghetto and Nazi concentration camps, informed us that an operational headquarters of five people has been created, and they are constantly in contact with the Holocaust survivors. The timely support of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress allowed the organization to acquire and deliver medicines and kosher food packages for the upcoming Pesach.

Activists of the Jewish communities of the Euro-Asian region are striving to solve the most pressing challenges while making their contribution to the fight against the spread of the pandemic.

Concerned over the shortage of protective masks, activists of the Jewish community of Montenegro sewed from scratch and delivered face masks to all members of the Jewish community of Montenegro. And they did not stop there: hundreds of homemade protective masks have been already donated to the medical center in Podgorica.

In the current emergency, the Jewish community of the Philippines has been faced with the problem of financing the synagogue and the community. However, a solution was found: now, kosher food is prepared daily in the kitchen space at the synagogue.

“Due to the restrictions in the pandemic situation, logistics related to the supply of food, cooking, and delivery was complicated, but we have managed to overcome the difficulties and already receive a huge number of orders for kosher food delivery,” said Lee Blumenthal, executive director of the Jewish community of the Philippines.“The EAJC leadership has decided to provide emergency assistance to the Jewish communities and organizations affiliated with the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. The world is in a pandemic situation, and we all need to mobilize so that Jewish life does not fade away. In this regard, we will focus on developing online projects and addressing the most pressing problems facing communities and organizations in the Euro-Asian region, ”said President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Dr. Michael Mirilashvili.

Jewish life in Euro-Asian region goes online

The threat of the spread of coronavirus could not paralyze the activities of Jewish communities and organizations comprising the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. On the contrary, the emergency regime gave a new impetus to the mobilization of forces and the rallying of people. Jewish life in the Euro-Asian region is undergoing a dynamic development focused on online content, programs, and communications.

 

The representative office of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress in Central Asia (Mitsva Association) is expanding the database of online courses and content while training teachers-volunteers in the field of online education.

Hebrew lesson taught by volunteers was the first online lesson in the new format. Chess, choreography, and fitness lessons followed. Children’s educational virtual program Mini Club, which is basically an online development center, is coming soon.

The traditional Shabbat weekly meetings also went online, and the first online Shabbat has already brought together 11 families. Soon, online classes on Pesach history and tradition will begin.

 

The Kesher project, an international women’s organization with representation in 5 countries, supported by the EAJC, has announced a series of webinars: from a financial literacy course to an online meeting on the development of Jewish female leadership.

 

 

Hillel CASE (Central Asia Southeastern Europe), which operates with the support of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, has developed and implements a diverse online program covering a large number of young participants from around the world.

151 teams from Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Israel, the Netherlands, and the US took part in the fourth game of the online Quiz Box project season.

Hillel CASE students gathered online to meet Shabbat together. More than 100 students from Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Israel shared photos of their Shabbat on Instagram.

The soulful online Havdalah ceremony – a Jewish religious ceremony that marks the symbolic end of Shabbat and ushers in the new week, has been organized by Hillel Kiev, which also launched a new author’s project in collaboration with Limmud Labs: the intellectual game Limmud Brain Labs with the participation of 44 teams from Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Israel, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Germany. The premiere of the project attracted more than 200 participants, and this is only the beginning.

 

The Jewish Association of the Philippines, affiliated with the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, continues teaching preschool children online. As for adults, the community offers online challah preparation and Shabbat lessons.

 

Hillel Russia, supported by the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, adapted all the country’s Hillels to distance work and moved the educational programs online. As part of the new Shabbat Home program, visitors will receive a set that includes Siddur, Shabbat candles, two challahs, and a bottle of kosher juice or wine. Hillel Russia also offers special online sessions for those who conduct Shabbat on their own for the first time. The whole team contributes to the development of online programs, including the celebration of Pesach.

 

The international educational platform JFuture, the flagship project of the EAJC, held its first online lesson in 28 cities around the world. More than 500 kids gathered together to learn a lot of interesting things about the history and traditions of Pesach. JFuture also offers children interactive Hebrew lessons online.

 

The All-Russian Union of Jewish Students (RUJS), with the support of the EAJC, launched a new online project helping young people to study and use conversational Hebrew. Students attend fascinating online meetings and discussions with Israeli journalists, political and public figures, as well as prominent rabbis and artists.

 

Dear friends, together we will overcome difficult times and unite even more to protect our loved ones, the Jewish people, and the whole world. Stay home!

EAJC wishes a speedy recovery from coronavirus to Rabbi Yitzhak Kogan

All our prayers are going out to the legendary head of the synagogue on Bolshaya Bronnaya in Moscow and our dear friend, Rabbi Yitzhak Kogan, for a speedy and full recovery from coronavirus.

Yitzhak (Izya) Kogan became the rabbi of the synagogue on Bolshaya Bronnaya in 1991. He led the reconstruction of the building, organized a charity canteen at the synagogue as well as medical care for the disabled and a regional public fund for helping blind and partially sighted people.

There is some improvement in the health of Rabbi Kogan, according to his doctor. Refuah shlema!

Natan Sharansky: 5 Tips to Get Through Quarantine

Natan Sharansky, a prisoner of Zion, the former head of the Jewish Agency and a good friend of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, spent nine years in a Soviet gulag due to his Zionist activity. Half of his he was in solitary confinement, including 405 days in the punishment cell. Listen to Natan’s advice on how to strengthen your spirit being in conditions of social isolation.

“We Jews, for thousands of years, all over the world, were scattered. But we always had this feeling that we are part of a big people, a great people, with our mutual past, with our mutual future, and with our mutual mission,” he says.

EAJC launches a new website

We are glad to inform you on the launch of our new web-site. These days, we renew our digital presence to suit the changing reality and the goals of the EAJC, present in 26 countries.

Our intention with this website is to provide an easier way to learn about the diverse Jewish communities and organizations of the Euro-Asian region and keep you updated about the dynamic activity of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.

On our new website, you can discover the history and news of the 26 Jewish communities, as well as prominent Jewish organizations, the areas the EAJC, is active in, our projects and partners, who we are, where we aspire to be and what we stand for. 

You can also find out more about the leaders of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress who strive to ensure the unity and integrity of the Jewish people. 

We will update our content with fascinating articles, lectures, and news to provide you with information about Jewish life in the Euro-Asian region. You can also subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and developments.