NCSEJ WEEKLY TOP 10 Washington, DC June 8
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
NCSEJ WEEKLY TOP 10 Washington, D.C. June 8, 2018 Estonia celebrates 10 years of first Jewish Community Center since WWII By Tamara Zieve Jerusalem Post, May 27, 2017 https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Estonia-celebrates-10-years-of-first-Jewish-Community-Center-since-WWII-494058 TALLINN – “We will be here forever,” a veteran member of the Estonian capital’s tiny Jewish community told The Jerusalem Post during a celebration of the community center’s 10th anniversary on Thursday. Estonia was the first country to be declared Juden-Frei (Free from Jews) at Germany’s Wannsee Conference 75 years ago. Though thousands returned after the Holocaust, Jewish life was stifled by the Soviet regime and saw another drastic decline in its community after the fall of Communism in 1989, when many Jews emigrated. “In the Soviet Union, we had a corner, a little synagogue, half hidden,” recalls Peisah Kozlovski, 65. He said life before the establishment of Tallinn’s new synagogue was “gloomy.” “Life started after Estonia became free, and especially with this synagogue,” he remarked. “The community has changed a lot with the arrival of our [Chief] Rabbi [Shmuel Kot], who united all of us and made this life very interesting. We have a lot of friends, we come together – it’s a point of meeting. We go to shul and then to a cafe next door,” he said, smiling. The community currently numbers some 2,000 – natives alongside Israelis and other immigrants – but its members are confident in its continuity. “The numbers don’t matter,” Kozlovski said. “We have a lot of children; it will grow. It will not be big, but still we are forever, like Israel.” “Estonia is a good place for the Jewish people,” agreed Eric Kachkovsky, 30. “We don’t feel any antisemitism and we feel treated very warmly.” Russian native Aaron Raihshtein recalled the synagogue’s early days when it was only possible to convene a minyan once a week. Now they have one every day. He describes Jewish life in the city as “blooming,” and his fiancée, Ester Volskii, discussed her plans to open the first kosher grocery store there. Given the size of Estonia’s population, 1.3 million, it’s natural that its minorities are small. Foreign Minister Sven Mikser said: “We are so few that everyone counts.” “I think the Jewish community is one of most active, both politically and culturally,” he told the Post, adding that he doesn’t see any reason it won’t survive. Though he was unable to attend the celebration as it coincided with the NATO summit, other Estonian and European officials did, including Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid, who delivered a speech inside the beautiful, modern synagogue. “The story of the synagogue of Tallinn tells us about the fate of the Jewish community,” she told the audience. “Estonia is proud of the fact that the country today has a flourishing and happy Jewish life. The history of the local community, as the history of the country itself, has experienced tragedies and revivals, from the years of the Holocaust, which tell us the tragedy and the difficulty of occupation, to the flourishing recent years of free, democratic and independent Estonia. Today, the synagogue is a beautiful and a clear indication of the importance of freedom.” Estonia granted the Jews cultural autonomy in 1926. It was renounced in 1940, and restored in 1993 after Estonia regained independence and passed a law granting minorities the right to preserve their national identities. “Our two nations shared both the joyous and difficult times in which we lived together and on which we have to speak more clearly. Both nations have had to fight for their existence. I must recall with gratitude those 178 Jewish women and men who participated in the Estonian War of Independence. Both of our nations know what it means to keep your identity and freedom even under the pressure of foreign powers, and we can be proud of their achievements,” the president stated. Other prominent figures at the event included Estonian Parliament Speaker Eiki Nestor and European Commission Vice President Andrus Ansip. Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel and Chief Rabbi David Lau flew in from Israel for the occasion. In addition to the synagogue, the center includes a school, a kosher restaurant and a Jewish museum. The building was named Beit Bella, after the mother of Jewish businessman and philanthropist Alexander Bronstein, who funded the community center. Boris Oks, chairman of the board of the Jewish community, recalled how the local architects had never seen a synagogue before, so they were sent to Israel to get a feel for Jewish houses of prayer. The guests toured the center and watched a show put on for them by the schoolchildren. In honor of Jerusalem Day, the youngsters sang Hebrew songs about Jerusalem, with an impressive command of the language, and enacted a play about the city. Jewish community chairman Alla Jakobson lauded the Israeli officials for their participation, saying that their presence gave support and strength to the children and community. “After World War II, Tallinn was the only capital in Europe with no rabbi, and we realized we needed a synagogue,” Jakobson said in a speech to the attendees. “Ten years for Jewish history is nothing – our history is long – but for our community, it is life,” she said. Referencing a 100th anniversary celebration she attended in Helsinki, she wondered whether her community would be able to celebrate the same milestone. “I hope it will,” she added. Putin talks World War III and World Cup during annual call-in show The Russian president quoted Albert Einstein at one point, stating: "World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." By Elena Holodny and Francis Whittaker NBC News, June 7, 2018 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/vladimir-putin-host-his-annual-call-show-n880811 MOSCOW — Vladimir Putin, in his annual call-in TV show, warned Thursday that any large-scale global conflict would lead to the "end of civilization." The Russian president fielded questions from members of the public during the marathon event, which ran for four hours, 26 minutes. After being asked about whether "nonstop" sanctions could trigger World War III, Putin quoted Albert Einstein: "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." He said that any country's interests should not be protected "through confrontation." Putin added that those who sought to place sanctions on Russia did so because they perceive the country as a competitor. "The West sees a threat in Russia in regards to its economic development ... and in regards to its success in foreign affairs policies," Putin said. He later dismissed allegations of Russian meddling during the 2016 White House election as a "joke." "One of the very well-known publishers in Germany wrote that President [Donald] Trump is pushing Europe into Putin's hands," he said. "If you put it together with an earlier joke that Russia had influenced the U.S. election, all in all it sounds quite funny: We have allegedly meddled with the presidential election in the U.S. and Trump as a thank you has presented us with Europe. This is a complete nonsense. One can't call this anything else but a joke." Other topics raised during this year's "Direct Line with Vladimir Putin" ranged from a recent government reshuffle, taxation, rising gas prices, and infrastructure for soccer's looming World Cup, which Russia is hosting this summer. He also addressed the recent poisoning of onetime double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury, England. Britain has blamed Russia for the attack, which it alleges involved Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent. Putin's once again denied that Moscow had any involvement in the incident, adding: "If a military agent would have been used against these people, these people would die on the spot within seconds or minutes. Fortunately that did not happen. That means we are dealing with something different." Other foreign policy issues addressed by Putin included the conflict in Syria. Despite announcing the start of a withdrawal from Syria in December 2017, Russia is not planning to withdraw its troops from the country any time soon, Putin said. Referring to Russian military installations in Syria, he added, "They are temporary but we will keep them there while it is necessary and is required by our economic interests." He also said that Russia's presence in Syria has allowed Moscow's military to test some of its more advanced weaponry. Syria "has helped us to adapt them to the needs of the battlefield," Putin said. Kremlin-funded broadcaster RT said that at least 2.5 million questions had been submitted as the question-and-answer event entered its fourth hour. Putin scrapped the usual studio audience this year, and was instead taking video questions via monitors. He also had direct video links to regional governors and government ministers, who had been told to be at their desks for the 5 a.m. ET start of the program. While some observers have criticized the annual call-in show as staged, Moscow bills it as an opportunity to hear the concerns of regular Russians. Elena Holodny reported from Moscow, and Francis Whittaker from London. UN releases first education guide on fighting anti-Semitism Associated Press, June 4, 2018 https://www.yahoo.com/news/un-releases-first-education-guide-fighting-anti-semitism-114413768.html PARIS — The United Nations has released its first educational guidelines on fighting anti-Semitism.