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From the 2016 Annual Report ANNUAL REPORT focuses on the world’s second-largest Jewish diaspora in the twenty-five ethnically diverse and economically challenged countries of Eurasia. Confronting increasing tensions and violence in the region, NCSEJ helps strengthen fragile democratic institutions, advocates on behalf of Jewish communities with government officials, and promotes local Jewish life. On the international stage and with the American Jewish community, NCSEJ defines, communicates, and defends Jewish interests in the region. All photographs are from the archives of NCSEJ except where otherwise credited. Pages 12–14 (June meeting) are by Chris Kleponis/ CNP. Pages 14–15 (December meeting) and back cover, right are by Ron Sachs/CNP. Page 10 (clockwise from top left): timesofisrael. com/latvias-nazi-veterans-join-controversial-annual-march; rte.ie/ news/2017/0328/863074-hungary_migrants; budapestsentinel.com/ articles/the-new-face-of-hungarys-radical-right-wing-jobbik-party; dw.com/en/un-refugee-agency-calls-for-halt-to-asylum-seeker- transfers-to-hungary/a-38371313. Page 11 (clockwise from top right): theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/26/polish-judges-urged-fight- independence-supreme-court; uk.news.yahoo.com/brussels-punish- poland-over-court-102131984.html; rt.com/news/373520-ukraine- nationalists-rehabilitation-draft; rferl.org/a/28053027.html; rferl. org/a/28053936.html; artpolitinfo.ru/den-russkogo-natsionalista- na-russkom-marshe-v-lyublino-2016 (last two pictures). © 2017 NCSEJ. All rights reserved. For general inquiries, contact [email protected]. C O NT NTS 2 FROM THE CHAIRMAN Daniel Rubin, Chairman 3 FROM THE PRESIDENT Aleksander Smukler, President 4 FROM THE CEO Mark B. Levin, Executive Vice-Chairman & CEO 5 HIGHLIGHTS OF 2016 10 ULTRANATIONALISM 12 MEETINGS 16 FINANCIAL STATEMENT 18 DONORS, MEMBER AGENCIES AND PROGRAM FUNDERS 19 FEDERATION PARTNERS 20 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN Last September, NCSEJ led an ambassadors from Azerbaijan, and Poland, and will keep you American Jewish delegation to the Baltic states, Georgia, updated as plans develop. the 75th commemoration of the Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine. The work NCSEJ does is not Babi Yar massacres in Kyiv. The Mark Levin and I attended the very often “front page news,” commemoration was attended 20th anniversary of the Russian however, our quiet and behind- by thousands, and included Jewish Congress in Moscow and the-scenes negotiations and participation of government held very constructive meetings advocacy have a profound representatives from Europe, with American Ambassador John effect on policies that affect Israel, and the United States. We Tefft — a great proponent for the Jews in Eurasia and Eastern celebrated the renovation of the Jewish community of Russia and Europe. And the support we formerly dilapidated memorial a good friend of NCSEJ. receive from all of you in the site into a beautiful plaza, a On June 7, we will be honoring NCSEJ family is deeply appre- commitment by the Ukrainian ciated. government to promote our most recent past chairmen DANIEL RUBIN – Edward Robin, Richard Stone, Finally, the more time I spend CHAIRMAN Holocaust education, and the announcement of plans to build and Stephen Greenberg – at a with NCSEJ, the more admira- gala event in New York City. The tion I have for our extraordinary DEAR FRIENDS, a multimillion dollar museum of Jewish history in Kyiv. event will not only honor these staff led by Mark Levin and The past year has been a busy most deserving men, but will Lesley Weiss. Their commitment one for NCSEJ, and the coming However, our vigilance was also highlight the important work of is truly 24/7. They respond year promises to be just as filled tested, when a main boulevard NCSEJ. We hope you will all be to emergencies and events with challenges. in Kyiv was renamed after there! with speed and thoroughness, Stepan Bandera, an anti-Semitic Political change is sweeping whether they affect individuals nationalist from the 1940s. Even There is no doubt that the through the Western world or entire communities. more disturbing was the fatal coming year will continue to be and how new governments will beating of a rabbi in Eastern challenging for the Jewish com- We all look forward to working confront anti-Semitism is being Ukraine. NCSEJ works every munities we support. We are with you in the coming year carefully watched in Eastern day to confront these issues, committed to making sure that to continue to help assure that Europe and the former states of with government officials and none of them, no matter how our fellow Jews can live with the Soviet Union. Any signs of the local communities, to assure large or small, are forgotten. freedom, security, and dignity in weakness in the resolve to fight they do not go unpunished and We are planning a significant their homelands. anti-Semitism by the West could prevent future acts. mission to some of the more have catastrophic repercussions remote communities in the in less stable areas of the world. In Washington, we had very former Soviet region, Ukraine, productive meetings with the 2 NCSEJ 2016 ANNUAL REPORT LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT We constituted the best- This year, following the 25th NCSEJ critical for the future of educated generation in Soviet anniversary of the collapse of Jewish life in twenty-five coun- history. Our backgrounds in sci- the Soviet Union, we have com- tries, but we will also celebrate ence and technology made us pleted the English translation of our history. We will remember welcome in Silicon Valley and in Yuli Kosharovsky’s monumental our cause, our heroes, and Israel, where we played a critical We Are Jews Again (Syracuse our victory in the geopolit- role in the development of an University Press, 2017). Yuli ical struggle of the Cold War. advanced technology sector. Kosharovsky was one of the We will freely affirm “We are Our impact has also been felt in leading figures of the dissident Jews again,” against all odds. business and the arts. Our skills Soviet Jewry movement, and We can celebrate the role of the have given us an advantage in my friend and mentor. Edited National Conference on Soviet international trade, and singers, in English by Ann Komaromi Jewry, NCSJ, during those musicians, and artists with and condensed into one critical decades of struggle and Russian Jewish names and have volume from the four volume ALEKSANDER SMUKLER also look to the future. I am PRESIDENT become familiar across America, original, Kosharovsky recounts proud to be the President of Israel, and around the world. the stirring story of thousands NCSEJ. I know that my friend DEAR FRIENDS, The contributions of Russian who came together to form a Yuli looks over my shoulder and movement for our freedom to Three months after I immigrated Jews to their adopted coun- urges me onward to promote be Jewish. to the United States, the Soviet tries, especially in science and and protect Jewish communal Union came to an end. Growing technology, constitute a signif- Yuli Kosharovsky’s book will life throughout the region once up in the Soviet Union I could icant loss for Russia. The years be available at the June 7th controlled by the Soviet empire, not imagine that I would become spent nurturing and educating a event, and if Yuli had not died to support Israel, and to combat an American citizen or that the generation is a national invest- tragically three years ago, I am anti-Semitism in whatever form USSR would cease to exist. I was ment dissipated when millions sure he would be on a plane to or place it occurs. not alone. Four hundred fifty emigrate. Imagine if Sergey join me in New York on June thousand Russian Jews immi- Brin had not come to America 7th. It is an important occasion. grated to the USA and more with his parents in 1979, might Not only will we honor three than a million went to Israel. Google have been created in past chairmen — Ed Robin, Russia? I don’t think so but we Richard Stone and Steve Green- can never know. berg — whose vision has made NCSEJ 2016 ANNUAL REPORT 3 LETTER FROM THE CEO If the situation in the region was forceful stand wherever, when- As an American Jewish organiza- not worrying enough, politics ever and in whatever guise tion, our advocacy enhances our here at home have also posed anti-Semitism appears. mission to inform and educate new challenges. It is important Historically, Jews and Jewish governments and citizens about to remember that NCSEJ is not communities have too often enlightened policies advanta- a partisan organization. How- been the target of direct geous to the advancement of ever, NCSEJ does stand for a set state-sponsored abuse. Today, Jewish life and communities in of principles. fortunately, that is not the case. the region. We are advocates, Our long history as Jews has NCSEJ monitors the implemen- protectors and leaders for a repeatedly demonstrated that tation of laws that protect the future in which Jews and Jewish we thrive best in countries with well-being of vulnerable com- communities thrive throughout a secure legal system and dem- munities in our region. Eastern Europe, Russia, Ukraine, the Baltics and the Caucasus. MARK B. LEVIN ocratic government committed Our members include individ- EXECUTIVE VICE-CHAIRMAN to the rights of all people. We & CEO uals and groups that hold a seek to reinforce the fragile wide array of political positions. democratic institutions charac- DEAR FRIENDS, For more than forty-five years teristic of the region. We seek we have worked together to This has been a challenging year. to facilitate the efforts of Jewish make the issues confronting Problems in Ukraine remain communities to engage their Jews in the region a bipartisan unresolved.
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