Dueling Russian Jewish Organizations Make Peace

Last Wednesday, nearly 200 people gathered at the prestigious Metropol Hotel, adjacent to the Red Square in central Moscow, for a signing ceremony between the two largest organizations in Russia and Europe for the benefit of hundreds of thousands of Russian and European Jews and many Jewish communities.

They are operating under the “Federation of Jewish Communities in Russia” and the “Euro-Asian Jewish Congress”, with hundreds of established Jewish communities, synagogues, and charitable centers, together with hundreds of Chabad emissaries scattered throughout the countries and cities.

The event was attended by the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berel Lazar, President of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Russia, Rabbi Alexander Boroda, President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Michael Miralashvili, and Chairman of the Board of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Rabbi Aharon Frankel. The event was also attended by prominent public figures and politicians, including ambassadors and businessmen.

Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berel Lazar, greeted the guests on Chanukah and said, “The light of Chanukah is meant to stay with us for the entire year, and this is the main lesson of the holiday – meant to help us every day. I’m sure that the people gathered in this room are proof of this lesson. In our country there are many Jews living in cities where communities have only recently been established, and these communities are small. Working with these communities, with these people, is certainly much more difficult than when there are large communities with many Jews and they are well organized. But this is our main challenge.”

President of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Russia, Rabbi Alexander Boroda, said: “The cooperation of the two organizations will lead to increased activity for the Jewish communities in Russia and in European countries, and we hope that this cooperation and success will inspire and influence other places in the world.”

The President of the European-Asian Jewish Congress, Mr. Mikhail Mirilashvili, said in his speech: “I believe that the Jewish heritage of our people is unique, and the Russian-speaking Diaspora on the Euro-Asian continent is a rich source of values”, concluding with the statement “I’m sure that the great experience of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Russia will help us achieve better results in developing and promoting our goals.”

The purpose of this cooperation is in order to provide and protect the common interests of the Jewish organizations and communities and to improve their level of Jewish identity, education, and Jewish spiritual culture.