Jewish community library of Ukraine was replenished with new editions

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As part of the Community Library program by the All-Ukrainian Jewish Congress, gift editions of the Tehillim and the Secrets of Jewish Wise Men with colorful illustrations are published in Kyiv.

Tehillim, or the Book of Psalms, accompany the Jewish people throughout its history and is an endless source of comfort and wise advice for every Jew in any life situation.

“Secrets of the Jewish Wise Men” is a collection of wise sayings and aphorisms by the Jewish thinkers and rabbis of different eras. The previous edition was extremely popular both in Ukraine and abroad.

The books were published as a result of a joint program of the All-Ukrainian Jewish Congress and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, aimed at preserving the Jewish heritage in Ukraine.

“We are sincerely glad to contribute to the development of the Jewish communities of Ukraine, which for many years have been fruitfully working to revive Jewish life in the country,” said EAJC President Dr. Mikhail Mirilashvili.

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EAJC congratulates Aaron G. Frenkel

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Euro-Asian Jewish Congress wishes happy birthday to Aaron G. Frenkel, Chairman of the Board of Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.

Dear Aaron, throughout your distinguished life, you demonstrate an unyielding commitment to the well-being of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

On behalf of the heads of the EAJC organizations, members of the Board and the EAJC team, please accept heartfelt congratulations on your birthday.

We at the EAJC look forward to continuing our fruitful joint activities for the benefit of the Jewish people in the spirit of Talmudic wisdom, which the Jewish people have been firmly adhering to for many generations:

כל ישראל ערבים זה לזה

All of Israel are responsible for one another!

Till 120!

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The 5th international conference “Limmud Moldova 2019” was held in Chisinau

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The 5th international conference “Limmud Moldova 2019” in Chisinau brought together more than 300 participants from Moldova, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Israel, France, the USA, and other countries.

At the conference opening ceremony, the EAJC Vice President Alexander Bilinkis welcomed the participants on behalf of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress and emphasized the importance and fruitfulness of cooperation between the Jewish Community of Moldova and the EAJC.

“Limmud Moldova 2019” offered the participants a rich and varied program. Seminars, lectures, master classes and discussions covered a wide variety of topics: from the history of the Jews of Moldova to religious discussions and meetings with celebrities.

Prof. Zeev Khanin, head of the Institute for Euro-Asian Jewish Studies – one of the EAJC special projects, presented the results of the new extended study “Jews of the Post-Soviet Space”, concerning the Jews of Moldova.

A special conference program for kids and teens aged 6-17 was presented by educational professionals and the experienced team of the Nesharim Jewish community camp, which is held annually with the support of the EAJC. This summer, the Nesharim camp gathered more than a hundred children from different parts of Moldova.

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A new synagogue opens in Chisinau with the support of the EAJC

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Speaker of the Parliament of Moldova Zinaida Greceanîi, leaders of the Jewish community of Moldova, the EAJC vice-presidents Alexander Bilinkis and Emanuel Grinshpun, as well as representatives of the Jewish communities of Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Israel, France, USA, and other countries attended the opening ceremony of the new synagogue in Chisinau.

The synagogue is located in the preserved old part of the new Jewish community center “Kedem”, built on the site of the historic synagogue “Lemneria”, which has been active since 1835. The destroyed building of the old synagogue was placed at the disposal of the Jewish community of Moldova in 1990.

Rabbi Samson Daniel Isakson became the rabbi of the new synagogue. It worths mentioning that just in a few months he has managed to gather a young active congregation around the Jewish community of Moldova. Moreover, 85% of the new community members never visited the synagogue before and for the first time are involved in Jewish community life.

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EAJC leaders met with the rector of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics

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In Tel Aviv, the EAJC President Dr. Mikhail Mirilashvili and the EAJC Director General Dr. Chaim Ben Yaakov met with the rector of the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics Dr. Victor Grishin and the university delegation.

The meeting participants discussed possible areas of cooperation between one of the largest economic universities in Russia and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, including, in particular, the prospects of establishing a Jewish student club, which will bring together numerous Jewish students studying at the Plekhanov University. The parties also discussed the possibility for Israeli lecturers and experts to visit the university and speak to a student audience.

“The EAJC stands for the development of science and academic freedoms. We welcome fruitful cooperation between Israeli and Russian scientists and universities, ” said EAJC President Dr. Mikhail Mirilashvili.

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Hillel Fresh Forum held in Odessa with support of EAJC

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From August 27 to September 1, Odessa hosted the summer Hillel Fresh Forum, one of the largest events of the Hillel CASE season.

130 young participants from five countries and ten cities gathered for five dynamic days, full of fascinating lectures, master classes, quests, flash mobs, games, and new acquaintances.

Themed as “Jewish Intellectual Heritage”, this year’s Hillel Fresh Forum is dedicated to the unique values, knowledge, and traditions accumulated by the Jewish people over 5779 years.

Twenty Hillel CASE professionals, as well as guest lecturers and experts, helped turn the Forum into a true Jewish holiday.

The Hillel Fresh seeks to attract Jewish youth to the life and activities of the Hillel and local Jewish communities. Therefore, it is especially important that about 80% of the summer Forum participants joined us this year for the first time.

The Hillel Fresh Forum is a great fresh start to both the school year and the Jewish year.

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Paradesi Jewish community shrunk to only two members

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The death of Sarah Cohen, India’s oldest Jew, leaves the Paradesi Jewish community in Kochi with just two members left. Ms. Cohen, a resident of the Jewish street in Mattancherry, Kochi passed away at the age of 96.

Ms. Cohen owned the embroidery store that offered traditional challah covers, decorative pieces of cloth for the synagogue and Jewish brides. She was a local source of information on Jewish traditions and kept the community’s history alive.

 The Paradesi Jewish community is dating back more than 500 years. The Paradesi Jews (Paradesi means foreigners in Tamil) have come to India from Portugal, Spain, Syria, and Iraq.

 The Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry was constructed by Sephardic Jews in 1568 and is the oldest synagogue in India. Unlike the seven synagogues in the area, the Paradesi Synagogue is still active.

In 1951 there were over 2,500 Paradesi and Malabari Jews in Kerala. However, the community shrunk in size over the years due to migration to Israel, the US, and the UK.

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EAJC congratulates Bella Waldberg

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Euro-Asian Jewish Congress wishes happy birthday to Bella Waldberg, Director General of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Development Fund for Social and Cultural Projects in Russia.

Dear Bella! Please accept our warmest and most sincere congratulations! We greatly appreciate your dedicated work within the framework of the EAJC representative office in Russia.

We wish you health, happiness, fascinating projects, and bright professional successes for the benefit of the Jewish people!

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Jewish Culture Festival Supported by EAJC was held in St.Petersburg on August 25

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Major Jewish Culture Festival titled “Oy Vey” was held in St. Petersburg on August 25. For one day the guests of the new city landmark SEVKABEL PORT were transported to the market and streets of Tel Aviv: they tasted authentic Israeli food, listened to fiery music, met with the most interesting media persons of the city, attended various workshops and got acquainted with Jewish traditions and modern culture of Israel.

Organizers of the festival were HILLEL Jewish Center in St. Petersburg, with generous support by the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, and the LIGHT MUSIC concert agency, which was also responsible for the festival’s music program.

The music program featured MALABI TROPICAL band, Israelis who have been wandering on a non-stop music tour since 2014. They fused Latin rhythms and Jewish melodies into a unique tropical rock. From street parties to the major festivals of Eurasia no one could resist their live performance! The MALABI TROPICAL was joined by St. Petersburg GOODNIGHT group of street musicians that for 20 years have been second to none in presenting Jewish folklore and Odessa songs. During their performances, even the most modest and intellectual spectators turned into musicians and dancers, and with each song the revelry flared up more and more.

The idea of the festival is to imbue every guest with the atmosphere of Tel Aviv, the most vibrant city of Israel. Here they sold sweets, there jewelry was on sale, around the corner a café was wide open, and right opposite it musicians played. And how could one do without street artists, travelers, rabbis, artisans and other colorful characters? Every one of them shared his or her story, while guests could get acquainted with the new culture in the fascinating festival format.

The festival program included:

  • Food court where the best Jewish restaurants of the city were present
  • Presentations by rabbis and official representatives of Israel in Russia, as well as by street artists, travelers, guides, and cooks
  • Children’s playroom
  • STEREOLETO and PARTS OF THE WORLD festivals’ organizers were responsible for the music program.
  • Market of Jewish designers from Israel and Russia
  • Workshops: henna drawings on the palms, a traditional ceremony of Yemeni Jews; different folk dances; cooking of Israeli street food
  • Contemporary Israeli artists and photographers exhibition

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Hillel opened free Hebrew courses in Moscow with the EAJC support

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On August 25 HILLEL Jewish youth organization launched a Hebrew course in Moscow. The course includes six classes held every Sunday from 16.00 to 17.30 in the cultural and educational space of Sokolniki Park called BUKVODOM (literally, Book Home).

These lessons make it possible to learn Hebrew for everyone who is eager to do so: the tuition is provided free of charge by Hebrew teacher Ilya Yuzefovich. The course is given in the park and gathers more than a thousand participants.

Hebrew is an amazing language. The Hebrew alphabet is one of the oldest known to mankind. There are neither vowels nor capital letters in it. This language is based on strict logic and is incredibly beautiful. Hebrew knowledge is useful not only for visiting Israel, but also for studying the history of major world religions.

This free Hebrew course was made possible by the support of the GENESIS Foundation and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.

Bella Waldberg, EAJC-Russia CEO:

“The best way to increase the accessibility and attractiveness of language learning is to make the learning informal, i.e. to leave classrooms for leisure areas, to abandon the conventional surroundings and teaching methods.

Hebrew is considered to be one of the oldest and at the same time one of the youngest languages of our planet. Courses such as this one provide a great opportunity to explore the origins of Jewish culture and civilization in the rhythm of a modern city. Moreover, the strengthening of business and friendly ties between Russia and Israel, as well as the growing interest in learning “exotic” languages can expand the potential audience of the course.

We are grateful to our partner, the Hillel-Russia Center, for this initiative and are very happy to support the project, thanks to which Hebrew learning has become more accessible in Moscow. “[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]