Euroasian Jewish News

On Jan. 15, a state reception was held in Moscow's Jewish Cultural Center for the leaders of Russia's Jewish community

On Jan. 15, a state reception was held for the leaders of Russia's Jewish community, marking the 15th anniversary of a legal and independent Jewish movement in the former Soviet Union. The ceremony was held in Moscow's Jewish Cultural Center "At Nikitskaya."
The celebration was organized by: the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), the Bureau on Relations at the Israeli Prime Minister's office (Nativ), the Jewish Distribution Committee (Joint) and the Jewish Agency for Israel in Russia (Sokhnut).
American and Israeli ambassadors to Russia Alexander Vershbow and Arkadi Mil-Man told the audience about steps that were taken to protect Soviet Jews from the state's anti-Semitism in the "zastoy" era. Then, the audience honored the activists of the "Jewish underground" in the former Soviet Union, including "Otkazniki," who came from Israel to attend the celebration.
Alexander Machkevich, the EAJC president and chief organizer of the reception, pointed out that the world's Jewry today - like 15 years ago - built a "united front" against any attempts to violate the inalienable rights of Jews.
"We not only recalled the past at the reception in Moscow," A. Machkevich said, "but we also discussed the present and the future of the Jewish Diaspora in Russia."
Meanwhile, the leader of the EAJC emphasized that major Jewish institutions, which united their efforts for the anniversary celebration, confirmed their willingness to cooperate when necessary.