Largest Jewish Convention in History of Ukraine Held in Kyiv

On October 4, a grand event, the 6th convention of the United Jewish Community of Ukraine was held. According to Mignews, it was the largest of such events in the history of independent Ukraine. In total, 2,436 delegates representing the communities of all the regions of the country gathered at the National Palace Ukraine.

President Yanukovych addressed the participants of the convention with a greeting: “I greet the National Jewish Congress and the United Jewish Community of Ukraine on the occasion of this outstanding event, the convention of Jews of Ukraine. I am sure that your respectful gathering will facilitate further strengthening of interethnic harmony in the Ukrainian society. The president wished the participants “good health, fruitful work and success.”

The international presence at the convention was also unprecedented. Communities of the European countries, USA, and Russia not only sent their representatives but outstanding public figures made reports at the convention.

The challenges facing the Jewish world were addressed by the president of the largest Jewish organizations of the USA, a famous public figure Malcolm Hoenlein.

The hall met with applause a known lawyer and politician, Vice President of the International Olympic Committee, Director of the American Center in Paris Samuel Pisar. He called the recent ceremony of laying the cornerstone of the memorial in Babyn Yar an outstanding contribution of Ukrainian Jews in the history of that nation.

The initiatives of leaders of the United Jewish Community of Ukraine were appreciated by the representative of American Jews – the President of a National Conference in support of the Jews in Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states, Alexander Schmukler. According to him, the Jewish community of Ukraine gives an excellent example of the development of many Jewish communities all over the world.

Foreign guests marked, with special appreciation, the initiative of leaders of the United Jewish Community of Ukraine of the creation of the European Jewish Parliament and the first global Jewish television channel – Jewish News One.

The head of the Union of Armenians and goodwill ambassador to UNESCO and the UN, Araik Abrahamian, spoke about the fraternal ties, common history and tragic pages shared by the Jewish and the Armenian peoples.

The Convention of Ukrainian Jews received spiritual support when the leaders of all religious denominations called for unity and cohesion; among them, President of the Conference of European Rabbis that unites the Jewish communities of more than 40 countries in Europe, Pinchas Goldschmidt, Chief Rabbi of the United Jewish Community of Ukraine, Shmuel Kaminetsky, chief rabbies of Ukraine Yaakov Dov Bleich and Moshe Reuven Azman all called on the Jewish elite to take care of the revival and development Jewish traditions in Ukraine.

The Executive Director of the United Jewish Community of Ukraine, Iosif Akselrud, gave a complete report on the work that is done by the Jewish communities in Ukraine, providing valuable information about the organizations' main activities and their plans for development.

Among its many achievements and activities, the United Jewish Community of Ukraine supports 23 Jewish public schools and 28 Jewish Sunday schools; it is responsible for the installation of 19 monuments at sites of mass executions of Jews during WWII and for conducting the so-called Shabatons, during which many Jews were brought closer to the Jewish way of life. More than 25 thousand Jews became the owners of the letters in the Torah of Israel, hundreds of lectures were conducted by instructors of the Light of the Torah program, and there is a steady increase in financial assistance for these projects and programs.

During the past two years, 45 organizations joined the United Jewish Community of Ukraine and this by itself is an indicator of community development.

In general, the Convention of the United Jewish Community of Ukraine was dynamic, productive, and had a friendly atmosphere. The official United Jewish Community of Ukraine website reports that "it was impressive.”