In Kyiv, a Forum of Jewish Communities of Ukraine was held in Kyiv

Over the past two days in the main concert hall of Kyiv, the work of the Forum of Jewish Communities of Ukraine took place. Over four thousand delegates, representing more than 160 Jewish communities, took part in it.

The forum was organized by the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS, which has been supporting the revival and development of Jewish life in Ukraine for fifteen years. The meeting participants discussed the results of the Federation work over the past years and outlined the contours of subsequent activities.

The forum was attended by the chief rabbi of Israel Schlomo Amar, the chief rabbi of Russia Berl Lazar , President of the Federation of Jewish communities of the CIS Levy Levaev, the Minister of Finance of the State Israel Benjamin Netanyahu.

At the opening ceremony, welcoming messages from the President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych were read out, which emphasized a significant role in the Jewish community in all areas of the country's life.

Along with the discussion of topical issues of the life of Jewish communities of Ukraine, which has successfully developing here over the past years, the meeting participants also affected the problems of interethnic relations. The speakers currently see the main objective of the activities of the communities in the intensification of the fight against anti -Semitism and terrorism, which have become manifestations of a common disease - intolerance to a stranger, foreign. As noted in reports, this task is not only before representatives of Jewish communities of Ukraine, but also the whole world. It has become today relevant for all progressive, democratically thinking people living on the planet.

On the opening day of the forum, its participants showed a film about the life of Jewish communities of Ukraine in the past and present, then greetings of honored guests were heard. Creative groups from large and small communities of Ukraine took part in a large festive concert. The performances of famous artists Mikhail Shufutinsky and Maxim Leonidov were met with particular attention.

The participants and guests of the forum visited the memorial complex of Babier Yar, where 63 years ago, on September 29, 1941, the Nazis and their local assistants killed more than 33,700 Ukrainian Jews. Over the next months, about 100 thousand people were executed there, among whom there were thousands of non -Jews. The main rabbi of Russia Berl Lazar, the chief rabbi of Ukraine Azriel Khaikin, the President of the Federation of Jewish communities of the CIS Lev Levaev, the Minister of Finance of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu honored the memory of Babier Yar’s victims with a minute of silence and laid flowers for the monument to the dead, the press service of Berla Lazar reports.