Euroasian Jewish News

Synagogue Opening / EAJC Dialogue with Top Shiite Clergy, Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9-11, 2003

On March 9-11, 2003, in the city of Baku, a series of dignified events were held to mark the opening of a new synagogue for the Ashkenazi (European) and Georgian Jewish communities. Numerous visitors from the USA, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other countries came to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, at the invitation of Gennadi Zelmanovich, the head of the Jewish Community of Azerbaijan and Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) General Council member.
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassadors of USA, Russia, China, Germany, and Poland took part in the ceremonies. The President of Israel Moshe Katsav sent an official greeting. The Adviser for Ethnic Policy Hidayat Orujev represented President of Azerbaijan Geidar Aliev.
Among guests of honor were Alexander Machkevich, the EAJC President; Telman Ismailov and Aharon Frenkel; the heads of the Jewish Community of the Czech Republic, who made the first financial contributions towards the construction of the synagogue; Chief Rabbi of Russia (under FJCR version) Berl Lazar, who also sponsored the updating of the synagogue; and National Actor of Russia Gennadi Khazanov.
Heads of the Christian Orthodox and Muslim clergy of Azerbaijan, where the majority of the population are Moslem Shiites, also participated in the opening ceremony.
Celebratory speeches were delivered by the President of Azerbaijan’s Adviser for Ethnic Policy Hidayat Orujev, First Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Abbas Abbasov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan National Committee for Religious Associations Rafik Aliev and also Stanley Abramovich and Meir Tal, representatives of JDC and JAFI respectively.
Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) President Alexander Machkevich was granted the honor of cutting the red ribbon and thereby opening the new synagogue building. In his speech he pointed out that the opening of the synagogue in Baku in the presence of the leaders of the main religions of Azerbaijan, leaders of the country and ambassadors of foreign countries, is a remarkable example to the whole world of cooperation of different Peoples and Faiths.
The EAJC President especially thanked Gennadi Zelmanovich and those Moslems and Christians who contributed organizational and financial support to the construction of the synagogue.
After the opening of the synagogue, the EAJC delegation led by Mr. A. Machkevich was invited by the Chairman of the Caucasian Moslems Management, Sheikh-ul-Islam Pashazada Allahshukur Hummat oglu, to his residence in Baku. During the meeting, the Sheikh expressed support to the ideas of dialogue by the EAJC with the Moslem world, in particular with the Shiites, of creating a permanent body on the basis of parity representation of both confessions to facilitate dialogue and promised to make efforts for establishing contacts with the Jews of Iran and finding out about the destiny of Israeli MIAs believe to be held by extremist groupings.
EAJC Secretary General Michael Chlenov and EAJC General Council Chairman Joseph Zissels discussed with the Sheikh questions of national education and prospective programs of cooperation of the EAJC with Azerbaijan. A question was raised on licensing a Jewish school to operate in Baku, to which the Sheikh responded with a promised of support.
A banquet and a gala concert, held in the most prestigious venue in Baku, the "Gulustan" Palace, was a wonderful feast and concert, during which greetings were received by a number of organizations in addition to those included in the synagogue’s formal opening.
Lesley Weiss, who as well delivered a greeting on behalf of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry (NCSJ), also paid a visit to the city of Kuba, where in the famous Krasnaya Sloboda suburb, an ancient community of Mountain Jews of Azerbaijan continues to exist to this day.
Gennadi Zelmanovich justifiably was overwhelmed by tributes for his organization of both the celebrations and the construction of the beautiful synagogue, which will undoubtedly become one of the most attractive sights in the capital of Azerbaijan.

the EAJC Public Relations and Media Department