Magen League Holds Anti-Missionary Seminar
in the Crimea

SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine – With a traditional sounding of the shofar, Chief Rabbi of Sevastopol Benyamin Wolf launched a region-wide seminar conducted by the Magen League aimed at resisting missionary activity. This is the third such seminar to be held by this organization in Ukraine this year. The event involved representatives of Jewish communities and organizations from throughout Crimea, including the chairman of local communities, directors of local ‘Chesed’ charities, leaders of youth organizations and editors of Jewish publications.

Led by the President of the Magen League, Professor Alexander Lakshin, and the organization’s Director in Ukraine, Igor Kuperberg, the two-day seminar allowed participants to get acquainted with the basic strategy of missionary activity, aimed at converting Jews to other religions, as well as the tactics they use and the ways the local communities can take action to counter such propaganda.

As indicated from reports given by local community leaders, Crimea’s Jews are not new to this problem, having encountered missionary activity of this kind for many years now. Apart from these remarks, participants emphasized the high quality of this training and their belief that such information will be useful and timely. Participants also expressed hopes that additional seminars would be offered and that they could subscribe to Russian-language print publications issued by the Magen League.

The seminar’s organizers, in their turn, emphasized the participants’ notable motivation and thanked Rabbi Wolf for providing the local Synagogue to host the lectures and for the delicious kosher meals served during the seminar.