Kyiv Jewish Forum: Ukraine, once the main centre of world Jewry, wants to contribute to the future of Judaism
KYIV, Ukraine, Sept. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- At the beginning of the 20th century, one Jew out of four in the world was living on the territory of present-day Ukraine, which made it the largest Jewish country in the world. After a near total extermination, the Ukrainian Jewish community is now witnessing a true renaissance.
"The revival of the Ukrainian Jewry was made possible by the inner strength of our community, but also by the immense support we have received from our brothers and sisters from Israel, the United States and Europe; now it is time for us to give back to the world," declared Boris Lozhkin, President of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine and Vice-President of the World Jewish Congress, at the opening of the Kyiv Jewish Forum.
This global online conference to debate the future of world Jewry was organized on September 8-9 by the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine in partnership with the Jerusalem Post. The event featured global leaders discussing ways to fight anti-Semitism, the memorialization of the Holocaust, the future of US-Israel relations, the Iran deal, the future of Judaism and many other topics.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Israel Reuven Rivlin, Alternate Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Gantz, President of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder, US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism Elan Carr, US Congressman Ted Deutch, UK Lord Jonathan Mendelsohn and UK Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks were among the numerous leaders who participated in the Forum. They vowed to fight anti-Semitism and urged for unity between Israel, its diaspora and partners.
President Zelensky, declared that the Kyiv Jewish Forum illustrates the strategic importance of the relationship between Ukraine and Israel. "It is essential that we work together to prevent xenophobia, intolerance and anti-Semitism [and] work together to promote tolerance and respect for all ethnicities and religions," Zelensky stated.
President Rivlin sent a special address where he called for unity to counter rising anti-Semitism, hatred and discrimination. "We must be clear and united when we say – zero tolerance for racism or xenophobia in any form and place," Rivlin stated. Alternate Prime Minister Gantz urged Jewish people within and outside of Israel to "listen closely to each other" and unite to remain strong through these uncertain times of the pandemic.
The conference can be watched online:
https://congress.jpost.com/jcu2020/
Share this article