Euroasian Jewish News

Vadim Shulman Elected New EAJC President

On June 17, the extraordinary session of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) opened in Jerusalem. The session gathered over 70 delegates from 16 countries.

The address of President of Israel Shimon Peres to the participants of the General assembly was read at the opening of the assembly. Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Lieberman, head of an Israeli parliamentary coalition Ze'ev Elkin, head of the JAFI Russian Speaking Jewry Unit Roman Polonsky, Director General of the Ministry of Information and Diaspora Ronen Plot, Lead Scientist of the Ministry of Absorption Ze'ev Hanin and other representatives of the Israeli government and community structures all greeted the gathering at various meetings.

The main event of the session was the election of the new EAJC President. Businessman and philanthropist Vadim Shulman, who has been holding the post of Acting EAJC President for over half a year, was unanimously elected to this post. At the initiative of the newly-elected President, the composition of the EAJC General Council and Presidium until the next General Assembly session (2014) was confirmed. The Council and Presidium include Congress Secretary General, President of the Federation of Jewish Communities (VAAD) Russia Michael Chlenov, General Council Chairman, Head of VAAD Ukraine Josef Zisels, and Head of the Mtizvah Association of Jewish Organizations of Kazakhstan Alexander Baron.

In his acceptance speech Vadim Shulman shared his thoughts on the organization of the work of the Congress. The EAJC President stressed: “The Congress must not rely on the financial support of just one person. The Congress must exist independently of its leader.

The fund of support for small communities must be strengthened for cases when the community needs urgent help, when the fates of people are decided in mere minutes.

Congress programs must not be local, they must unity the Jewish community, even if it is situated in different countries. This will aid Israel, as well: if one united voice sounds in support of the Jewish state, it will sound stronger, it will be a voice to count with.

The Congress must emphasize work with youth. My greatest wish is to see more young faces in the Congress, to foster new leaders. It will not be possible to keep the youth within Jewish community and social life without giving them a measure of power.
On our Vice Presidents: I would not like to be asking anyone to help the Congress. The Vice President must work. There must be cooperation, in which ideas are sometimes more important than money.