It is with great grief that the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress learned of the unexpected passing of Micah Naftalin from this world – the national director of the American human rights organization Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union (UCSJ). The UCSJ leader ended his life in Washington, at 76 years of age.

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) General Council Chairman Josef Zisels came to Tbilisi with a working visit. As part of his trip, he met with the State Minister of Georgia on Reintegration Temur Iacobashvili. At the meeting, the possibilities and format for support of the international youth camp “Roots of Tolerance” for the Caucasus region by the Georgian state were discussed.

Several important events took place at once during the first days of Hanukkah in Moscow and the Moscow region. Besides the traditional very warm Hanukkah greeting by the Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar and Mayor of Moscow Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov on the Manezh Square, the Hannukah menorah was lighted for the very first time in Barvikha.

The delegation of the leadership of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), led by EAJC General Council Chairman Josed Zisels has made a working visit to the Novoselitsa city of the Chernovitsky region of Ukraine. This trip was dictated by the necessity to care for frescoes that are over 100 years old, and which were recently discovered in an abandoned local synagogue.

On the 2nd of December, the famous Israeli-Russian community and religious activist Haim ben Yakov was appointed as the official representative of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) in Israel. He will represent the Congress in Israel at national institutions and international Jewish organizations.

On the 17th of December in the Moscow Gostiny Dvir, the second meeting of the Congress College took place. The Congress College is a new club-type community created under the aegis of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC). It was initiated by the executive directorship of the EAJC and a number of representatives of the business world, who were collectively interested in forming a space for the effective solution of collegiate tasks. According to the organizators' idea, the Congress College is to unite representatives of the worlds of business, culture, and science, politicians and community activists who share the humanitarian values of the Congress and who realize individual and collective business and community-important tasks.

The World Forum for Countering Anti-Semitism began its work in Israel. Over 500 scholars, politicians, diplomats, and leaders of Jewish community organizations from around the world are participating in this international conference.

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Grieves over Death of Yegor Gaidar

On the 14th of December, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) Secretary General Professor Michael Chlenov spoke at the opening of the three-day international scientidic conference “Soviet Judaica: History, Questions, People.”