Yesterday (Monday), a delegation of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress headed by Mikhail Mirilashvili met with the Chief Rabbi of Israel, David Lau. The EAJC President presented the goals of the Congress and spoke about the reforms that took place in the organization over the past year. “Our goal is to help the Jewish communities in the Diaspora and to ensure that the communities become strong, independent and influential. In addition, it is very important for us that every Jew can live a full Jewish life,” Mr. Mirilashvili said.

The Chief Rabbi of Israel greeted his guests and noted that the goals set by the EAJC President are very important. “Many Jews in the Diaspora are separated from spiritual life and Jewish education, therefore the goals and activities of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress are of a fateful character for the Jewish people,” Lau said.

Before the meeting with Rabbi Lau, the delegation met with representatives of the Jerusalem municipality, who conducted an excursion to Armon HaNaziv, where, with the support of the EAJC, a monument to the victims of the siege of Leningrad and participants in the Second World War will be erected. The monument is planned to be installed in late 2018.

In addition to the EAJC President, the delegation included first EAJC Vice President Temur Ben-Yehuda (Khikhinashvili), Vice-Presidents Alexander Bilinkis and Maxim Pasik, EAJC General Director Dr. Haim Ben-Yakov and others.

Yesterday (Monday) at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Moscow, a solemn reception was held in honor of Israel’s Independence Day. In addition, immediately after the official reception of the embassy, ​​a unique event took place in honor of the centenary of the legendary Israeli theater “Habima”: a meeting of leaders of Jewish communities of Russia, the diplomatic corps and representatives of the Russian government with theater actors, leading directors and actors of the Moscow theaters. Deputy Prime Minister of Moscow Dvorkovich and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bogdanov represented the Russian government.

The special guest of the Moscow Jewish community was the historian and writer Michael Bar-Zohar, the first biographer of David Ben-Gurion and Shimon Peres who told the audience about the preparations for declaring the independence of the state and the struggle for it, which continues until this day, as well as political and diplomatic collisions.

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress supported the events.

The World Jewish Congress has hand-delivered to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin its official “Declaration of the Jewish Diaspora’s Commitment to the State of Israel on the Occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of the State of Israel”.

The declaration was signed by the leaders of 83 Jewish communities around the world, including EAJC President Mikhail Mirilashvili, EAJC CEO Dr.Haim Ben-Yakov and leaders of EAJC communities.

The World Jewish Congress initiated and adopted this unprecedented declaration on behalf of its affiliated communities on six continents, as a manifesto of Diaspora Jewry’s immense pride and admiration for Israel’s remarkable and inspiring achievements over the course of the past seven decades and as a pledge of its steadfast and unwavering support for Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people and its centrality to the Jewish people.

The declaration, designed in the format of Israel’s original Declaration of Independence, was delivered to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin by a World Jewish Congress delegation led by WJC CEO Robert Singer and representatives of the WJC’s flagship program, the WJC-Jewish Diplomatic Corps – the future leaders of Jewish communities worldwide.

His Excellence, President of the Republic of Montenegro Mr. Milo Đukanović

On behalf of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) and the Jewish community of Montenegro, we have the honor to congratulate you on the victory in the presidential elections.

You are known not only as a staunch supporter of the Jewish Community of Montenegro, but also as a great friend of the Jewish people and the State of Israel, and as such we appreciate your role in developing and strengthening warm friendly relations between Montenegro and Israel.

This is very good news for the Jewish people in the region, and we believe that the Jewish community will continue to flourish and to make a significant contribution in favor of the benefit of its country with you as its head.

President of the Jewish Community of Montenegro, Jasha Alfandari,

Director General of the EAJC, Dr. Haim Ben-Yaakov

EAJC Board Chairman, Aaron Frenkel

EAJC President, Mikhail Mirilashvili

A headquarters’ summit of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) was held in Tel-Aviv, headed by the WJC Chief Program officer Sonia Gomes de Mesquita and the EAJC CEO, Dr. Haim Ben-Yakov. During the summit WJC representatives presented the structure and framework, security department and flagship projects of WJC Global.

Dr. Ben-Yakov presented the new structure of the EAJC and the reforms that have taken place over the last year in the organization. In particular, the EAJC General Director emphasized that starting from September 1, the EAJC head office is located in the state of Israel, and the EAJC office in the Republic of Kazakhstan will be reorganized into a branch. A new branch in the Balkans will also be opened. In addition, as a result of reorganization – EAJC official representatives in Russia from March 2018, are the Chairman of the EAJC Board Aaron Frenkel and the first EAJC Vice-President Timur Khikhinashvili (Ben-Yehuda), and the EAJC Vice-President Alexander Levin is the EAJC official representative in Ukraine.

In addition, during the summit the EAJC and WJC joint projects were discussed and agreed to expand cooperation.

On Monday, March 19, a festive dinner was held in Jerusalem, organized by the president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), Mikhail Mirilashvili, as part of the visit of the delegation of the World Jewish Congress led by Ronald Lauder to Israel.

Mikhail Mirilashvili appealed to the audience and outlined the prospects of the EAJC activity: “We can definitely say that after long years of stagnation, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress has come to life and actively develops and growths. At the end of 2017, a record annual budget was approved. Since early 2018, the Congress has supported or initiated more than 30 projects. Recently, we have been repeatedly asked to join the Congress from communities from all over the world: Thailand, Vietnam, China, Laos, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, South Korea, Turkey and others. We started supporting such large-scale projects as Taglit and Limmud. We are acquiring new partners – the Israel-Russia Business Council, the Friendship Fund, the All-Russian Union of Jewish Students, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia and others. ”

The event was also attended by the Minister Zeev Elkin, EAJC Chairman and WJC Vice President Aaron Frenkel, EAJC First Vice President Teimuraz Khikhinashvili (Ben Yehuda), WJC Director Robert Zinger, EAJC Vice President Alexander Levin, EAJC Vice President Alexander Bilinkis, EAJC Vice President Maxim Pasik, EAJC first Vice President Rami Levi, heads of communities and other members of the WJC delegation.

As announced earlier this week by a Board of EAJC, a Founder and President of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein was appointed  as vice president of the Eurasian Jewish Congress, representing Jewish communities in Russia, Ukraine, and more than 20 other countries. The IFCJ and the EAJC will cooperate on a series of issues, including the security of Jewish communities, following the trail of anti-Semitic incidents, and supporting Sunday schools in the communities which are members of the Congress.

The president of the Congress who also serves as vice president of the World Jewish Congress, Mikhael Mirilashvili, congratulated Rabbi Eckstein for joining the EAJC: “As president and founder of the Fellowship and also as the winner of several awards for his public service, given by the IDF,  Israeli Prime Minister,  Jewish Agency,  Chabad movement and the Federation of Jewish Communities in Russia, as well as others, Rabbi Eckstein serves as a model of morals and gallantry. We have great hopes for the future cooperation revolving around the goal of the Congress – to support Jewish communities. Rabbi Eckstein’s joining us will be a great contribution to the EAJC. Together we are able to reach significant achievements for the Jewish people.”

Dear Friends,

Purim is, above all, a celebration of our victory over the forces of antisemitism. We must never forget our roots, and what we are ready to do for our people.

When we are united and spiritually strong, we can never be defeated. Together, we will overcome those who are hostile to our people.

I send my warmest wishes of blessings and prosperity.

May joy always fill our hearts!

Purim Sameach!

The Yad Sarah – Frenkel Emergency Medical Center opened this past week in Jerusalem. Unlike other emergency medical centers in Israel which are staffed by general practitioners and feature one universal department that accepts all patients, the new medical center is divided into three departments—Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Gynecology, with a field specialist assigned to each respective department.  The brand-new medical center, named the "Frenkel Emergency Medical Center", is the generous donation of the international businessman and Chairman of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) Aaron Frenkel who dedicated the center in memory of his parents RChaim and Fruma, z”l.

The new center is built upon an impressive area of 1,000 sq. meters and situated in the Yad Sarah House in Jerusalem, in close proximity to Shaare Zedek Medical Center. It presently encompasses a medical imaging department; treatment rooms; laboratory; and more, and will be operated by members of Shaare Zedek’s medical faculty.

Attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony were President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) and Vice President of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) Mikhael Mirilashvili; Chairman of Limmud FSU Matthew Bronfman; Health Minister Yaakov Litzman; Minister Zev Elkin; founder of Yad Sarah Rabbi Uri Lupolianski; and CEO of Shaare Zedek Medical Center Professor Jonathan Halevi.

Addressing the guests, Frenkel proudly expressed, “It is my obligation and privilege to attend this event. I have been acquainted with Uri for many years and borne witness to the extraordinary kindness and charity that takes place here. It all starts and ends with good people who are devoted to the public. It is our hope that this place will become a leader and model in the quality of service that it provides to the public. Better service. Service with heart. With generosity and warmth. We want this medical center to become a guiding light to others in the field of medicine.”