Euroasian Jewish News

The actions devoted to the First All-Russia conference of Zionists took place in Minsk.

The Union of the Belarus Jewish public associations and communities together with the Jewish Agency for Israel in Byelorussia carried out the actions devoted to the 100-anniversary of the First All-Russia Zionist conference on November 29 - December 1, 2002.
One hundred years ago, on August 22-28 (on September 4-10 by new style) 1902, All-Russia Zionist congress with over 600 participants, representing more than 120 cities and places of Russian empire took place in Minsk. It was the first legal congress of Russian Zionists sanctioned by authorities. Right four years before that, in August of 1989, the first All-Russia Zionist conference was held in Warsaw under illegal conditions. There were 160 delegates from 93 cities and places. But as far it was impossible to mention the Warsaw conference officially, the congress in Minsk that time was named by Russian Zionists as "The First All-Russia conference of Zionists" or " The First All-Russia congress of Zionists in Minsk".
The Minsk conference has played great part in development of Zionist movement in Russia and has confirmed the final choice of Russian Jewry in statement of Erets-Israel as the historical and spiritual native land of Jewish people. Among the known Zionists of time who took part at the Conference there were I.Chlenov, I.Rejnes, M.Usyshkin, N.Sokolov, Akhad ha-Am and others.
The All-Russia conference of Zionists was not only of great importance in development of Zionist movement in Russia, in questions of repatriation of Russian population to Erets-Israel, but it has also played the main role in rise of national consciousness of Jewish population in Russia which, being settled worldwide, anyhow, preserved mentality, elements of culture and traditions of Russian Jewry, distribution of Yiddish and Russian in the environment of Jewish Diaspora all over the world.
The All-Russia conference of Zionists in Minsk has ratified priorities in activity of the World Zionist organization, has offered Hebrew as an official language of this organization, has emphasized special importance of development of the Jewish culture in national revival of Jewish people, has put forward idea of creation "Zionist guards" for youth.
Having considered the problem about education 100 years ago the Conference has made the decision about two directions in Jewish education - national-traditional and national-progressive (public), has created two corresponding commissions, having prevented split in the ranks of the Zionist organization of Russia.
The actions devoted to the First All-Russia conference of Zionists, held in Minsk on November 29 - on December 1, 2002, have gathered more than 60 participants from 24 cities of Byelorussia, and also representatives of Zionist movement of Ukraine and Russia. The solemn opening was made by the President of the Union of Belarus Jewish public associations and communities, the emeritus architect and academician, Leonid Levin. Among those who greeted participants of the conference there was the first Secretary of the Embassy of the State of Israel in Byelorussia, Ron Shekhter, the Head of representation of the Jewish Agency for Israel in Byelorussia, Shalom Yakir, and the Chairman of Zionist Federation of Ukraine, Joseph Zisels. The President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Alexander Mashkevich, the General director of the department on CIS countries, the East Europe and Baltic, Amos Lahata, have also addressed their greetings to the conference.
Within the framework of actions there were held two Round tables "Zionism - yesterday, today, tomorrow" and "Jews of Byelorussia and Israel - one history, one destiny". There were actively discussed problems of Zionism and Post-Zionism, destiny of the Jewish State and Diaspora, the central role of Israel in spiritual life of Jews of the world. There were made attempts to answer the question "What is Israel today - the Jewish State or the State for Jews?", "What is the idea of Zionism in mentality of the modern Jew?", etc.
The Conference has once again confirmed urgency of questions mentioned during discussion, thus has revealed high interest of leaders of the Jewish Diaspora in Byelorussia to Zionism and nationally focused aliah, to problems of national consciousness and the role of Zionist idea in this process, to questions of history of Zionism.

The Union of the Belarus Jewish public associations and communities