Global leaders discussed Jewish issues on the 3rd Kiev Jewish Forum

On December 15-16, the 3rd Kyiv Jewish Forum, organized by the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine in cooperation with the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), the Center for Jewish Impact and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, was held.

This year, the KJF was devoted to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Ukraine. The first day of the forum was attended by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Israel Yitzhak Herzog, President of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder, President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Mivchael Mirilashvili, President of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine Boris Lozhkin, ambassadors of states, politicians, public figures, philanthropists and others guests of honor.

The second day of the forum was attended by the Minister of Construction of Israel Zeev Elkin, Minister of Diaspora Affairs of Israel Nachman Shai, Minister of Aliyah and Integration Pnina Tamano-Shete, Minister of Tourism of Israel Yoel Razvozov and other political and public figures.

Address of the EAJC President Michael Mirilavshili to the organizers and participants of the Kiev Jewish Forum:

“Dear friends.

I am glad to welcome the organizers and participants of the third Kiev Jewish Forum. First of all, I would like to thank our dear partner and friend, First Vice-President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Boris Lozhkin for this important initiative. Over the years, the Kiev Jewish Forum has become a major event in the Jewish world and we are happy to take part in it.

This year the Forum is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between independent Ukraine and the State of Israel. A new chapter began for our states 30 years ago. However, relations between our peoples have been developing for centuries. The history of the Jewish people on Ukrainian soil goes back a long time, and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress is making great efforts to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of Ukrainian Jewry. We also pay great attention to the development of Jewish communities and provide support to social and educational projects in Ukraine. We sincerely hope for the further development of good relations between our countries and between our peoples.

In recent years, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress has acted as a partner in a number of important initiatives of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine, headed by Boris Lozhkin.

Recently, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy, we published the book Righteous Among the Nations. Ukraine” about the Ukrainian citizens who saved Jews during the Holocaust.

As part of the ‘Jewish Library’ project, the bestsellers on the history of the Jewish state and biographies of its leaders are being published in Ukrainian language.

Another significant joint project is the creation of the Institute for the Ukrainian Jewry Research Institute at Tel Aviv University, whose mission is to study the history and culture of Jews on territory of Ukraine from the Middle Ages to the present day.

We are glad to continue to cooperate with the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine for the benefit of one of the largest Jewish communities in the post-Soviet space and are grateful to Boris Lozhkin for his great contribution to the present and future of Ukrainian Jewry.

I wish all the forum participants successful and fruitful work. We are doing an important job and with God’s help we will succeed!”