Euroasian Jewish News

New Synagogue / Support of the EAJC, Kiev, The Ukraine, March 4, 2003

A synagogue, which has been rebuilt due to the financial support of Edward Shifrin, Vice-President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (ЕАJC), has been opened in the historic Podol area of Kiev.
Dmitry Tabachnik, the Vice-Premier of the Government of the Ukraine, presided over the official Opening. The Chief Rabbi of the Ukraine, Yaakov Bleich, together with the Chairman of the Confederation of Jewish Organizations of the Ukraine, Sergey Maximov, addressed the gathering as part of the celebration of a truly remarkable event in the life of the Jewish community of Kiev.
At a formal banquet devoted to the opening of the synagogue, greetings were received from a number of dignitaries, including Alexander Machkevich, the President of the ЕАJC. The greeting was read at the banquet by Fedor Ossinin, Executive Director of the ЕАJC, who had accepted an invitation to Kiev extended by Joseph Zissels, the President of the Vaad of the Ukraine and the Chairman of the EAJC General Council.
In his greeting, Alexander Machkevich emphasized: "Today we clearly understand, what "holy of holies" means – that is our Jewish Tradition, and for its preservation we erect synagogues. Due to the efforts of our Congress members, doors of revived synagogues and Jewish communal centers in the cities and towns of Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and other countries have been flung open in welcome".
Joseph Kobzon, the MP of the Russian Federation and the National Actor of Russia took part in a concert of the Jewish music, which was part of the celebration of the synagogue opening.

the EAJC Public Relations and Media Department