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Euroasian Jewish News
The delegation of the Jewish Community of Japan, part of Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), visited the Far Eastern regions of R
10.09.2003
Far East regions of Russia, August 24 - September 2, 2003
From August 24 through Sept. 2, the delegation of the Jewish Community of Japan, part of Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), visited the Far Eastern regions of Russia.
The President of the Jewish community of Japan Daniel Turk headed the delegation; members of the Board of the community Todd Valtzer and Bradley James Gordon also were included within the delegation.
The plenipotentiary representatives of the Jews of Japan arrived to the Far East under the invitation of EAJC President Alexander Machkevich. The visit was made possible through the support of the EAJC and with the organizational assistance of two Russian organizations, including the EAJC, Federation of the Jewish organizations and communities – Vaad of Russia and the Congress of the Jewish religious organizations and associations of Russia (CJROUR). During the visit of the chief of the EAJC Public Relations and Media department, the vice president of the Vaad of Russia, Roman Spector, and the chairman of the Jewish Religious Community “Ascold” (CJROUR), Yuriy Rabinovich accompanied the delegation. The multiregional Far East Foundation “Aven - Azer” also sponsored the visit.
In Vladivostok, the delegation met with the assistant to the head of the city administration, Logachyov, and the chairman of the committee of Vladivostok’s administration on international relations, Vladimir Saprykin. The basic purpose of this meeting was to establish strong contacts between the Jewish communities of the Russian Far East and the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. The parties discussed the prospects of the Euro-Pacific congress “Globalization: Interaction of Economy, Cultures, Technologies and Nature,” which will take place in Vladivostok at the end of September 2003.
The Japanese visitors expressed their admiration to the city administration of Vladivostok. D. Turk noted that Vladivostok reminded him of the American city of San Francisco, but the capital of Primorski Krai, as he said, was much better and more interesting! At end of the meeting, the parties exchanged gifts.
After the reception, the visitors met a representative of the city’s Jewish community "Ascold," and also were acquainted with Vladimir Jankelevich, the chairman of the Jewish religious-cultural community center, which works under the auspices of the Federation of the Jewish communities of Russia (FJCR).
Additionally, the delegation met the Board of the local division of the Jewish Agency in Russia (Sohnut) and gave interviews to a number of journalists. Also, they saw the sights of Vladivostok and took excursions into the city and its suburbs, including, the well-known Seventh forte. They also observed the Pacific coast from aboard a boat.
Then leaders of the Jewish community of Japan left for Khabarovsk, where they met a representative of the local "Hesed," led by Yuliy Ginsburg and the head of the Sohnut department of Khabarovsk Mikhael Sapojnikov. After that, members of the delegation left for the capital of the Jewish Autonomous region of the Russian Federation, Birobijan.
The period of the delegation’s visit to Birobidzhan was organized with the assistance of the city’s Jewish communities “Beit Tshuva” (CJROUR) and its chairman Dova (Boris) Kofman. The administration of the Jewish community of Japan and “Beit Tshuva” community together participated in the traditional ceremonies of Shabbath on August 29-30.
The Jews of Birobidzhanled, headed by D. Kofman showed the city to the Japanese colleagues, told them about its sights and organized a number of interesting meetings. D. Turk and his colleagues spoke with the vice president of the government of the Jewish autonomous region, Valery Gurevich, the mayor of Birobidzhan, Alexander Vinnikov and chairman of the council of the Jewish community "Freud" (FJOR), Lev Toitman. Members of the delegation spoke about the purposes of the visit and the activities of the Jewish community of Japan. They also had several interviews with regional press and TV. Before departing from the Jewish autonomous region, the delegation of the EAJC rendered the support of the local community “Beit Tshuva” and handed over a gift to the Jewish kindergarten.
After visiting Birobidzhan, the delegation returned to Khabarovsk, where before departing for Japan, they were acquainted with the scientific achievements of the region.
In their comments for the media on the results of their visit, the Jewish community of Japan’s President D. Turk said that the community considers this trip successful and it is going to continue cooperation with the Jews of Russia within the framework of EAJC. Turk especially noted that the mission had been a success due to the experiences gained during the international Jewish-Islamic dialogue, which took place under the patronage of Noursultan Nazarbaev and the EAJC, which is headquartered in the southern capital of Kazakhstan, Almaty.
The president of the EAJC, Machkevich, in the interview said that the interaction of the local Jewish communities will promote the reduction of tension throughout Southeast Asia.
"The Jews of Japan and communities of the Far East are part of the EAJC, Machkevich said. Therefore, by organizing contacts, we’ll make humanitarian connections, which play a positive role in strengthening peace cooperation in the region."
Communal newspaper "Shalom" № 9 (17), September 2003The international Jewish newspaper № 37-38 (436-437), October 2003
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