Alexander Mashkevich presents order to Tamara Gverdzitelli at reception in Moscow. (video )
12.12.2008
The annual reception of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress took place in Moscow.
December 11, 2008 - the annual reception of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) took place in Moscow. It included the awarding ceremony of the Russian and Georgian popular singer Tamara Gverdzitelli and the legend of Soviet and Russian sport, President of Maccabi International movement Mark Rakita. The EAJC President Alexander Mashkevich decorated the singer and the sports veteran with the EAJC orders for their tremendous contributions to the preservation of Jewish cultural heritage and the development of modern community life.
A number of officials were in attendance at this year's reception, including representatives of major Jewish organizations (both international and from the Russian Federation), Russian and Moscow government, the Embassy of the State of Israel, business elite, Russian and international information agencies, as well as prominent Russian cultural figures. Among them were the Chief Rabbi of Russia Adolf Shaevich, Chief Rabbi of Moscow Pinchas Goldschmidt, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations and Associations in Russia Zinovij Kogan and Executive Vice President of this organization Leopold Kaimovsky, Executive Vice President of the Russian Jewish Congress Alexander Shlimak, and other regional Jewish communities leaders.
The newly published fifth issue of the Euro-Asian Jewish Year Book about Jewish life in the Euro-Asian region during 2007-2008 was presented at the reception.
The famous Moscow antiquarian Alexander Khochinsky conducted a charity auction. The host of the evening was the artistic director of the Shalom theater Alexander Levenbook.
The reception took place immediately after two important events for the Eurasian Jewry which took place in Kazan': a session of the EAJC General Council and the Third Reporting and Election Conference of the Federal Jewish National and Cultural Autonomy (FJNCA). The election of Mikhail Skoblionok, the Tatarstan Jewish National and Cultural Autonomy leader, as Chairman of the All-Russian Jewish organization caused a sensation, as for the first time in two decades the representative of a regional Jewish community was elected for this position.
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