Croatian Jewish community building damaged by powerful earthquake

March 22, 2020 – The building of the Jewish community and school Beit Israel in Zagreb, Croatia, was damaged by two powerful earthquakes, which have struck the city, damaging vehicles and buildings, including the famous Zagreb Cathedral.

The head of the Jewish community of Croatia, Rabbi Kotel Da-Don, informed the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress that not a single member of the community was injured in the earthquake.

The epicenter of this natural disaster is located near Zagreb. The first tremors of magnitude 5.3 residents of the capital of Croatia felt at 6:24 local time. In less than half an hour, the earthquake repeated with magnitude five.

“The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress keeps in touch with the leaders of the Beit Israel Jewish community in Zagreb. During times like these, we all need to share our strengths and support each other,” said Director General of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Dr. Haim Ben Yaakov.

 

Jewish students across Euro-Asian region celebrate Purim

Jewish student organizations supported by the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress met Purim 2020 with many kinds of merrymaking.

Hillel CASE (Central Asia Southeastern Europe), which operates with the support of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, has united student centers in Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Azerbaijan through a Purim carnival.

Minsk Jewish Student Cultural Center Hillel, in collaboration with Israeli cultural center Nativ, offered a Purim art master class in a real artist’s studio specially decorated for Purim. Inspired by the amazing atmosphere, the participants created wonderful paintings telling the ancient story of the most fun Jewish holiday.

Hillel Minsk, in partnership with the Jewish Volunteer Movement, also launched a real Purim mail: Hillel student volunteers conducted a master class for children from the Jewish Family Support Center. Kids created Purim handmade gifts, and special Purim postmen delivered them to the address during the holiday.

Hillel Kiev welcomed Purim traditionally, by reopening a Purim bakery for children to make hamantashen from scratch. This year, more than 250 handmade hamantashen cookies have been made in the bakery. The next day they were delivered as a gift to the wards of the Hesed Shaare Tikva.

Odessa Hillel invited students to the Roaring 20s Purim Party: live music, carnival, quizzes, contests, dances, games! Odessa students got in the mood of Purim and had fun.

Hillel Kharkov chose the graceful style of the 60s as a theme for a Purim carnival. The evening opened with a traditional Purimshpil, an original musical show about the ancient story of Purim, created and performed by the students. And, as it happens every Purim in Kharkov, the annual Hillel Purim Hype Awards ceremony took place. Later, the musical Purimshpil was also presented to the wards of the Hesed Shaare Tikva as a Purim gift.

Students of Hillel Baku joined the entire Jewish community of Baku, dressed up in costumes and celebrated Purim with Megillah reading, a celebratory meal, and joyful music.

All Purim events of the All-Russian Union of Jewish Students (RUJS) were held thanks to the support of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.

 

The Haverim Jewish community at the Moscow State University (MSU), with the participation of the All-Russian Union of Jewish Students (RUJS) and the MSU Jewish Club, hosted the Purim Rock & Roll Party. Students of the MSU and other Moscow universities came together to listen to the story of Purim and, of course, to drink l’chaim – to life.

 

The All-Russian Union of Jewish Students (RUJS) and the Union of Israeli Students at MGIMO (Jewish Club) arranged a meeting of students with rabbi Alex Artovsky. A lively discussion about Purim ensued, and then students participated in a Purim quiz contest.

 

The Jewish Club of the St. Petersburg State University in cooperation with the All-Russian Union of Jewish Students (RUJS) welcomed Purim with a Megillah reading and traditional hamentashen. As part of the entertainment program, students tried their hand at Hebrew calligraphy, played games, participated in a Purim quiz and competition for the best costume.

For a whole week, Hillel Russia, supported by the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, welcomed Purim with costume parties, intellectual quests, dance, and karaoke battles. For many participants in seven cities of Russia, the Hillel Russia event was the first experience of a Purim celebration.

 

In Moscow, young people gathered for the Neon Purim Party at the Garage club with a light show, the quest “Finding the Esther Scroll”, dances, and games. In St. Petersburg, the Noah’s Ark Party brought together students dressed up as the Jewish biblical heroes. In Yekaterinburg, at the Space Purim Party, students took part in a team laser tag tournament and a virtual reality game route. In Khabarovsk, the Wild West Purim Party engaged the guests into the Indians and Cowboys game. In Saratov, guests went through seven rounds of a Purim intellectual team quiz. In Penza, guests gathered at the festive table with traditional treats while in Novosibirsk, teams competed in the Purim Stars karaoke battle.

“The Purim сarnival unites young people. This is a vivid and bright impression associated with the Jewish people, friends, and fun. We at the EAJC are sincerely glad that Jewish students of the Euro-Asian region are interested in the history and tradition of their people, largely due to the leaders and activists of Jewish student organizations,” said the Director General of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Dr. Haim Ben Yaakov.

Over 5,000 children and parents celebrated Purim at JFuture schools

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2,318 children and 2,785 parents, wearing carnival costumes, attended Purim celebrations at the Jewish schools of the international educational platform JFuture, the flagship project of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.

In each city, kids and adults listened to the reading of the Scroll of Esther in the synagogue. Afterward, the celebration took different forms in different cities: children prepared the Morning Ahashvereosh show for their parents, made a fun paper show, smashed a piñata stuffed with gifts of Mishloach Manot, made Hamantaschen cookies from scratch, painted holiday masks and visited the city circus.

The JFuture coordinators and animators invited the children into the world of Purim quests filled with interactive stations and puzzles. After exciting adventures, a festive meal awaited the participants. On the occasion of Purim, the children pleased the senior generation of their Jewish community with the gifts of Mishloh Manot.

JFuture platform opens on the basis of a community center and offers weekly Sunday meetings for groups of children and parents in Baku (Azerbaijan), Bobruisk, Minsk (Belarus), Tbilisi (Georgia), Mumbai (India), Tomsk (Russia), Kishinev (Moldova), Tokyo (Japan), Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Podgorica (Montenegro), Bukhara (Uzbekistan), and Chernivtsi (Ukraine).

Hannah from Tokyo: “An incredible program! We have prepared 20 gaming stations with various contests, crafts, a photo booth, and gifts.”

Eleanor from Kiev: “The celebration of Purim lasted three days. We invited the older generation, and the children exchanged traditional gifts with their grandparents. The elders taught the kids dancing to the Yiddish songs performed by a live musical band. The next day, we read the Scroll of Esther and arranged a carnival for the kids, and on the third day, the children and parents celebrated Purim together.”

Haya from Mumbai: “Thanks to Purim, three new participants joined the JFuture school! The program of the joint event for children and parents included a story by the rabbanit and scenes from the history of Purim, master classes for creating masks and preparing Hamantaschen cookies. Then the children exchanged gifts of Mishloach Manot. Everyone was thrilled!”

Hannah from Odessa: “120 children took part in the celebration of Purim while their parents attended the lecture“ Esther Nowadays ”. In the synagogue, after reading the Scroll of Esther, the children were offered an entertainment program. The next day, we organized thematic workshops, children sculpted clowns from plasticine and participated in competitions and quests with multiple stations. Everyone was in a truly festive mood.”

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Jews of Kazakhstan celebrate Purim with carnival and Purimshpil

Purim in Kazakhstan turned out to be truly carnival and festive. The representative office of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress in Central Asia (Mitsva Association) made sure to celebrate the most cheerful Jewish holiday in a fun and interesting way.

Activists of the Youth club and the Young family club of the Rimon Jewish community center shared the secrets of cooking traditional Hamantaschen cookies. The culinary evening concluded with a festive tea party.

Young volunteers of the Almaty Jewish community presented the audience with real Purimshpils staged as part of the Theater on Wheels project. The characters of the festive mini-performances are the immortal heroes of the Purim story.

On the eve of the performance, members of the community fulfilled the Purim mitzvah of mishloach manot gathering and then presenting gift baskets for the elderly of the Almaty Jewish community.

Young children and their teachers at the Jewish community kindergarten watched and discussed an animated film presenting the Purim story. Afterward, everybody enjoyed the traditional Purim dessert – Hamantaschen.

Reading the Book of Esther became the culmination of the Purim celebration in the small Jewish community of Shymkent. All generations of the community came together to listen to the amazing Jewish story and participate in the Purim carnival.

EAJC Leaders Gather via Video Conference

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Assembly, a general meeting of leaders of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, was conducted via video conference. Among the participants: EAJC President, Dr. Michael Mirilashvili, EAJC Chairman of the Board Aaron G. Frenkel, EAJC Vice Presidents, and heads of Jewish communities of the Euro-Asian region.

The meeting participants agreed on the work plan and budget of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress for 2020 presented by the EAJC Director General, Dr. Haim Ben Yaakov.

The President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Dr. Michael Mirilashvili wished good health to all the leaders and members of the Jewish communities of the Euro-Asian region, stressed the need to adhere to the instructions of the Ministry of Health and other relevant authorities, emphasized the unity of the Jewish people in this vulnerable time and expressed hope that very soon we will be able to return to normal life and activities.

Video conference meetings of the EAJC leaders will be held regularly.

Happy Purim from EAJC!

Dear friends,

On behalf of all of us at the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, I want to wish you a Chag Purim Sameach!

Today we celebrate the meaningful lessons of Purim, such as heroism, the triumph over persecution, and the value of Tzedaka – giving to the needy. Purim is a great opportunity to send mishloach manot to neighbors, friends, and those in need, and to share joy celebrating Jewish survival and continuity.

Highlighting the values found in the Megillat Esther, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress strives to support and promote the development, consolidation, and mutual enrichment of the Jewish communities in the Euro-Asian region.

Purim Sameach!

Dr. Mikhail M. Mirilashvili
The President of theEuro-Asian Jewish Congress

Moscow students met with Israeli representatives in Russia

Moscow students and teachers met with the Israel charge d’affaires in the Russian Federation, Yacov Livne, and the Regional Director of the “Nativ” representative office for Russia, Belarus, and the Baltic countries, Yana Agmon.

“Moscow State Institute of International Relations has established a great tradition of enlightening meetings between Israeli ambassadors and diplomats, and our students and teachers” – said the Vice-Rector for Human Resources, Vladimir Morozov. President of the All-Russian Union of Jewish Students (RUJS), Shota Mirilashvili welcomed the audience.

The Israel charge d’affaires in the Russian Federation, Yakov Livne, spoke about the development of Russian-Israeli relations, and the head of the Nativ representative office, Yana Agmon, invited young people to study Hebrew in the Nativ cultural centers.

The meeting was organized by the All-Russian Union of Jewish Students and the MGIMO Union of Israeli Students (Jewish Club) with the support of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, the Office for Work with Students and Graduates and the MGIMO International Students Association.

EAJC leaders meet with Kazakh Ambassador to Israel

The President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Dr. Michael Mirilashvili, and the Director-General of the EAJC, Dr. Haim Ben-Yaakov, met with the newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Israel, Satybaldy Burshakov.

During the meeting, the Ambassador assured the EAJC leaders in a consistent position of the Kazakhstan state authorities regarding the condemnation of antisemitism and support of the Jewish community of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In turn, the EAJC leaders expressed their readiness to help in bringing about the most advanced Israeli technologies to serve the friendly people of Kazakhstan. The EAJC is also ready to take an active part in the preparation and organization of future visits by Kazakh President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Askar Mamin, to Israel.

EAJC President Dr. Michael Mirilashvili emphasized the importance of Kazakhstan’s supportive stance towards Israel when voting within international organizations.

“Kazakhstan is one of the ten countries with Islam as the state or the most commonly practiced religion that have established diplomatic relations with the State Israel, and the Jewish community of Kazakhstan is thriving.” said EAJC President, Dr. Michael Mirilashvili.

Croatia to host Meer Axelrod’s exhibition in memory of Holocaust victims

An exhibition “The Nazi occupation in the graphic works by Meer Axelrod” opened on February 27 in Zagreb, with participation of the Mayor of Zagreb, Milan Bandic, the ambassador of Russia to Croatia, Anvar Azimov, the ambassador of Kazakhstan to Croatia, Tolezhan Barlybaev, the chairman of the Alexander Pechersky Foundation, Ilya Vasiliev, the dean of the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts, Tomislav Buntak, representatives of Croatian government and the diplomatic corps.

This is the first time Meer Axelrod’s works exhibited in Croatia, and the Croatian audience is introduced to about 30 paintings and graphic works from the Meer Axelrod series “The Nazi occupation” created in 1942-1943 in Alma-Ata, where the artist worked on the sets for Sergei Eisenstein’s film “Ivan the Terrible”. Until very recently, even the specialists were not aware of the existence of the series: the works were stored in the archives of the artist’s family and were never displayed together.

In the Soviet period, Meer Axelrod was deleted from official artistic life. However, for almost half a century, the artist continued creating paintings about Jewish life and the tragic fate of Jews who died in the pogroms and during the Holocaust.

The honorary guest of the ceremony, the grandson of Meer Axelrod, artist Mikhail Yakhilevich said: “Meer Axelrod began to create works on the Holocaust during the war and continued working on this theme until his death. This series was never exhibited during the artist’s lifetime since in the Soviet Union it was not allowed to single out the Jewish tragedy. It is significant that the exhibition, organized by the Russian Pechersky Foundation and supported by the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, is being held in Croatia, a country where almost the entire Jewish population has perished.”

The exhibited works reflect not only the horrors of life during the Nazi occupation but also the mass resistance movement, the exploits of partisans and underground workers. Of particular interest is the only lifetime portrait of Alexander Pechersky, leader of the legendary uprising in the Nazi death camp Sobibor.

Ilya Vasiliev, curator of the exhibition, head of the Alexander Pechersky Foundation: “Artworks by Meer Axelrod could serve at the Nuremberg Trials as evidence of the mass extermination of civilians, including almost three million of the Soviet Jews.”

“I want to thank the Russian Embassy in Croatia, the Alexander Pechersky Foundation, and the Academy of Fine Arts for their blessed cooperation, which culminated in the opening of the important exhibition of Meer Axelrod in Croatia. Axelrod managed to convey to us the evidence of many Jewish tragedies, from pogroms to the Holocaust. This exhibition is certainly one of his great creations,” said Rabbi Prof. Kotel DaDon, Chief Rabbi of The Bet Israel Jewish Community of Croatia.

The exhibition is a joint project by the Russian Embassy in Croatia, the Rossotrudnichestvo Representation in Croatia, the Alexander Pechersky Foundation, the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts, and the Shira Gallery, with the participation of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.