December 13-20

Young Leadership Conference in Israel

     From December 13^th through December 20^th, 2009, fifteen young Russians

participated  in the AJC Russian Division’s “Young Leadership Conference” in Israel. 

      These young members of the Russian Jewish community  received leadership training in meetings with important members of the Israeli community, including the Former Israeli Minister of Education, a member of the Ministry of Information and Diaspora, the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption, as well as the current Israeli Foreign Minister.

      Natalia Gourari, one of the participants of the program, has shared her impressions of the trip in the “Jewish Identity” essay, which you can find below :  

“A story about how I discovered my Jewish identity is not unique.  As I have recently learned, many Russian Jews have had the same experiences relating to our ethnic background. 

I never knew I was Jewish until 1981 at age seven, when another child in my Moscow first grade class made fun of me. In their lives in the Soviet Union, my mother and father had never truly seen Jewish identity as a source of pride, rather as a topic to keep quiet. I did have a great-grandmother who was observant, but her forays to synagogue had only made the family uncomfortable since nearly everyone else at shul was an informant for the KGB. 

My family decided to keep me in the dark about Jewishness so that I wouldn’t feel different.  After the incident at school, I asked my grandfather what being Jewish meant. He said that it was something to be proud of. Karl Marx, Albert Einstein – they were Jews. Even Vladimir Lenin was part Jewish, he said. Since these were people that everyone in Russia admired, I was armed against future tormentors who wished to mock my ethnic background. 

Nevertheless, Jewishness occupied a despised place in the Russian culture of my childhood. Bad luck was known as “Jewish luck.” Bigoted jokes could be heard everywhere. Jewish religious and cultural teachings were not allowed until the Soviet Union fell apart. I came to America in 1992 for college, thrilled at the opportunity to explore my Jewish identity. I never left. My closest friends are fellow Russian Jews whom I met at college and law school and I found my American future husband at a Shabbat dinner. We have three small children who sing Hebrew songs that might have gotten me in trouble back in the USSR. 

In December, 2009, during Chanukah, I had a chance to go to Israel for the first time with a group of other young Russian Jews from the United States and the Former Soviet Union.  Participants of the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) Russian Division leadership program comprised the American part of the group.  Our weeklong training program was coordinated by the American Jewish Committee and the Israeli governmental organization Nativ, and its academic part was provided by Interdisciplinary Center of Hertzlia.  

The flight from New York covered 5600 miles but the distance from my childhood in Russia can only be measured in light-years. American-born Jews may be so accustomed to the concept of a vibrant Jewish State that they take it for granted. For those of us who experienced anti-Semitism personally and Jewishness negatively and tangentially, Israel still has the capacity to bewilder and awe. 

The legendary refusenik Natan Sharansky spoke to us in Russian about his journey from the Gulag to the Knesset. We met with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, a native of Moldova, and learned about the complicated quest for peace in the Middle East. We saw Israeli army bases, Yad Vashem, the Western Wall. We learned what had been denied us as children, the opportunity to realize the magnitude of Jewish strength and endurance throughout history. 

We saw patriotic and strong Israeli Jews who deeply believe in the cause of their country. We saw why they were proud of it – Israel is a beautiful, historically rich state, a country that cares not only for its own but also about Diaspora Jews who might feel unwelcome in their own countries. The state of Israel is their guaranteed refuge, a safe haven. 

I have also realized the dimensions of my Jewish identity go beyond being ethnically Jewish – the only perceived difference between us and other citizens of the FSU.  I am an American Jew, a Russian Jew and an immigrant from the FSU.  As AJC Director of Russian Jewish Community Affairs Sam Kliger noted at the conference, all these identities come in one and the strongest – the Jewish belonging.  In the end, it is this Jewish belonging that defines us and our offspring.  Our Jewish belonging forever connects us to Israel, this Shining City on the Hill.

Israel, with its beauty, history, high technology, democratic government and the world’s largest Jewish population, to us felt like a true home.  At the same time, Israel is a very eclectic place because Jews who live in Israel come from all parts of the world and they bring their diversity of values and characteristics with them.  It’s a Jewish melting pot.  As I joined the others in lighting Hanukkah candles each night in the lobby of our hotel (and had salmon and ten different kinds of fish for breakfast – an Israeli tradition to feed their guests that way), I realized how fortunate I was to freely celebrate my Jewish heritage and how fortunate we are to have a Jewish State of Israel.” 

Another participant, Inna Fershteyn, also shared her memories about the trip in a letter to David Harris, Executive Director of AJC:

“Dear Mr. Harris,

 I wanted to say “Thank you” for the most memorable trip of my life.  The trip was so special not only because it was to the most unbelievable place on earth (I have been to Israel once before), but because of the team who put it together and the young leaders themselves turned it into the most inspiring and eye-opening experience that I ever had.  As one of the participants (Eugene Shkolnikov) put it: ‘We did more in one week that we did in the entire year”. 

 First, the trip was extremely educational and organized on a very professional level.  Second, most of the participants were professionals in their fields, hand picked as top leaders in their community and very interested in the Jewish cause.  Third, our little “American” team was very well prepared and briefed and “debriefed” by Sam Kliger.  We were the most organized ones who were able to lead the rest of the group into a number of “unplanned” activities:  singing and dancing until wee hours of the night, eating and drinking together, playing charades, sharing stories and life time experiences. 

 Special thanks to Sam, who brought a level-headedness and purpose to our every meeting.  At first we were a little resilient about his group exercises, briefing and debriefings – we were really tired after the days activities and not sleeping at night (since we were dancing and singing and drinking the night before).  However, Sam brought a lot of “order” into our activities in the evening and really forced us to focus on the things that are important.  His presentation at a round table was one of the best that we heard, to the point and very well organized.  He was a great leader and participated with us in every single unplanned activity.  We had many…

 We formed such a unique bond with the rest of the participants from other countries that now we feel a bit empty.  The things that we did together really showed us what it means to be a true leader and what our “Jewish Identity” means.  It also showed us that we are more alike that different.  Even if we live in different countries, we still have what Sharansky was talking about: our Jewish roots and our Jewish identity.  For letting us discover that and many other things that we didn’t know we had in us, Thank You. 

 After the conference, we formed our own “leadership” groups on Face book, Odnoklassniki.  I never had to answer so many Birthday and New Year wishes as I had this year, after the conference. 

 As of now, we have been invited by our Ukrainian participants to round 2 in Odessa in July….  With Sam’s enthusiasm and leadership, we might just able to pull it off…

 In short, even though I left my 3 young kids, my husband (wasn’t easy for me, I am still hearing about it), my law office and extremely spoiled clients behind for the entire week, I now know that it was the best thing to do.

Sincerely, 

Inna Fershteyn”

Masha Rifkin, who also participated at the program, wrote an article that was published at The Boston Globe. You can find it below :

“From Israel, a discussion of the Russian Diaspora

     Twenty years ago, millions of Soviet-Jews broke through the Iron Curtain of the former Soviet Union and fled to countries all over the world, effectively forming the second Diaspora. Approximately 700,000 of us found our new home in the United States, about 10-percent of that total relocating to Newton, Brooklyn and greater Boston.

Those of us who were carried to our new homes in strollers or on shoulders are now completely assimilated into our new homes, mostly exhibiting the societal and cultural norms of our current countries. (For example - much to the chagrin of our parents most of us can’t handle our vodka.)

     Put all of us new generation immigrants (as well as those who stayed back in the former Soviet Union) in a room together, and an awkward struggle develops. What do we all still have in common? Most of us feel pride toward our current nations. We were raised by our respective countries and thus may have different values and behaviors.

This week, I joined the Young Leadership Conference for Russian-Speaking Jews in Israel, a gathering organized by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and Nativ (an Israeli liaison organization that maintains contact between Soviet Jews and Israel). Naomi Ben Ami, Head of Nativ, explained that the goal of the conference, ▒is to establish a connection between young Russian Speaking Jews of the diaspora and the Israeli government.

     Members of the conference consist of young leaders, aged 23 to 45, representing the United States, Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. The conference aims to educate participants on the issues and history of Israel, by allowing them access to experts in the field: Ministers, Professors, Army Corporals, etc.

      On the conference’s first day, Natan Sharansky was the most anticipated speaker.

Sharansky is a modern day hero. His experience is recounted as a near fairy-tale to new generation immigrants, to remind us of the nature of the regime from which we escaped and to teach us the concept of commitment to freedom. In 1978, after actively participating in the human rights movement in the former Soviet Union, Sharansky was arrested on grounds of treason and spying for the United States. He was sentenced with 13 years and served 9 in a Siberian labor camp. Due to monumental international pressure, instigated by his wife Avital, Sharansky was one of the first political prisoners released by then head of State of the Soviet Union, Michael Gorbachev.

     This week, Sharansky walked into our little conference room of 50 people. Wearing a baseball cap, sport jacket and jeans, this symbol of freedom shuffled to the mic, grabbed it, and began speaking in Russian √ plainly, informally, and personally √ as if to friends. He spoke of his past, his current and previous work, and his vision of identity for the Jewish people.

      According to Sharansky, the first time he truly learned the nature of the Soviet regime was when he was 5. Stalin had just died, and the entire nation was in mourning. When he came home from school that day, he was pulled aside by his father, who said, Stalin just died. Who was Stalin? He was an awful murderer. We’re Jews, so we were next in line. But now √ maybe this event will save us. All your life you must remember that a miracle happened today. But tomorrow  don’t tell anyone what I’ve told you, go to school and do everything that the other children are doing.

      Sharansky explained, ⌠the next day I returned to daycare, and along with the other children cried, and sang the song, Thank you Comrade Stalin for our happy childhood but at the same time kept in mind that all my life I need to remember that a miracle occurred, and that I was happy that Stalin died. Sharansky described this as the concept of doublethink, the phenomenon of saying one thing while understanding that the opposite is true  something many citizens of the former Soviet regime are familiar with.

He explained that in this way he continued his youth, thinking one way √ feeling a slave of the regime - but outwardly exclaiming agreement with the masses. He continued with this lifestyle until one crucial turning point. While a student at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the Six Day War broke out in 1967. It changed my life not because I immediately understood how important this was, he described, all I remember is the propaganda of the Soviet government against Israel. But in one day this all changed. In one day you began to see that anti-Semites hated you even more, but they began to respect you. Because prior to this, all their jokes centered around the disgusting, greedy, cowardly Jews. Now, the jokes morphed into, the hooligan jews who beat the face of their neighbors. Sharansky continued that now, like it or not  as a Jew - for the rest of the world  you were connected to Israel.
     Sharansky described that he and fellow classmates attempted to understand just what that connection meant. They began to understand that their history unfolded prior to the establishment of the Soviet Union, that it began thousands of years ago in the escape from Egypt; and although all these people were now scattered across the world, they felt as brothers, and they wanted to help each other, and that this country Israel is being built for us, and that the whole world connects us with this country.

Sharansky expressed how this realization and the resulting change manifested itself in him: I’d always felt uncomfortable in this life of doublethink, this absence of democracy. But I’d never had this sense of Jewish identity before. Once I discovered it, I began to fight for myself fight to go to Israel, fight to escape this oppressive regime. And soon the fight for myself turned into a fight for others. So, at the same time, I was an activist of two different causes: the Zionist/Jewish movement and the Human Rights movement.

He told of how he and his classmates began to fight by holding demonstrations √ something that at the time was an unthinkable act. Seven to ten students would stand in the Red Square (it was necessary to keep it small, for fear that the KGB would be notified and their plans thwarted), and hold signs like Let us go to Israel. Sharansky explained that, although the demonstrations would be broken up within minutes, and although it was dangerous, if done right  meaning, if they were able to get a reporter to come to the demonstration, who could succeed in publishing outside of the Iron Curtain  it would result in an international avalanche of protest. The next day, there would be huge demonstrations, in support of those seven to ten students, across the world.

Sharansky’s teacher at the time was the world-renowned physicist and Human Rights leader Andrei Sakharov. Father of the Soviet hydrogen bomb, Sakharov was showered with privileges from the Soviet government that very few others received. Yet he traded this all for his relentless fight for human rights, becoming a true giant in the Human Rights movement of the 20th century. Sharansky described him as my rabbi, although he wasn’t a Jew  he was a huge source of strength for me. felt as much comfort with him as I did when fighting for the rights of Soviet Jews and I realized that the two movements (Human Rights and Zionist/Jewish) were connected.

     Sharansky continued to explain the connection between human rights and the Jewish state: It’s very important to understand that the fight for freedom, for human rights, can only prevail if something is more important to us than our physical existence. And this something is our identity.

     He argued that maintaining a sense of identity is crucial in sustaining a democracy. He described a project which grades countries on their level of political and social democracy.
     If you were to color the resulting grades on the global map Sharansky explained, you’d see a huge dark stain in the Middle East; but in all of this there is one small dot of light √ Israel. Its grades are on the same level as the United States. Israel is in the midst of a dense cloud of dictatorships. And, in this environment, we began the principles of the rights of people, democracy, and justice. And this would be impossible to create if behind it we didn’t have our national pride and passion the feeling that thousands of years of history exist to justify that we belong here. We wouldn’t have succeeded if we didn’t have generations of people who were willing to die for this government. This is why this government has to be a Jewish one. If it won’t be Jewish then it won’t be democratic. And this is important to understand the connection between identity and freedom.

     For many of us sitting in the audience Sharansky’s connection was the answer to our question. In that moment, given our varying backgrounds, and difficulties in communication and behavior, our commonality and that of the millions of like us √ became clear. Our commonality is our past and present our common identity, our shared history of oppression. It’s also our future - the empowerment our identity gives us to continue the fight for freedom.”

 December 1, 2009

Saving Soviet Jews from Captivity

      On December 1, 2009, Russian Division of the American Jewish Committee hosted an event to commemorate the historic date known as “Freedom Sunday,” when more than 250,000 American Jews marched in Washington to demand freedom for the Soviet Jews. This event, which was the biggest Jewish rally in American history, took place on December 6, 1987, on the eve of Gorbachev’s visit to the US.

     AJC’s director of Russian Affairs, Sam Kliger, welcomed the guests.  David Harris, AJC’s Executive Director, discussed his experience coordinating and leading the “Freedom Sunday” rally. Valery Bazarov of HIAS shared his memories about the 1987 events with the participants.  The evening concluded with Phil Spiegel’s presentation of his new book, ‘Triumph over Tyranny,” explaining and commenting on the chain of exciting events which led to freedom from Soviet oppression.  More than 60 Jewish community leaders attended this event.

1 декабря 2009 года, в Русском отделе Американского еврейского комитетa состоялся вечер посвященный исторической датe известной как "Воскресенье Свободы", когда более 250,000 американских евреев провели марш на Вашингтон, чтобы потребовать свободу выезда для советских евреев. Это событие, которое является крупнейшим еврейским митингом  в американской истории, состоялось 6 декабря 1987 года, накануне визита Горбачева в США.

     Директор Русского отдела АЕК, Сэм Клигер поприветствовал гостей. Дэвид Харрис, исполнительный директор АЕК, рассказал об истории тех событий и поделился своим опытом. Он был главным организатором и координатором этого митинга в 1987 году. Валерий Базаров из ХИАСа также поделился своими воспоминаниями о событиях 1987. Встреча завершилась презентацией Филом Шпигелем  его новой книги "Триумф над тиранией", в которой описываются события, приведшие к освобождению от советского гнета. Более 60 лидеров еврейской общины присутствовали на этом мероприятии.

October 18, 2009

October 5, 2009

A Green Chariot

7:00 pm

The Humanities Theatre

of the Durst Family Humanities Building

SUNY Purchase, 735 Anderson Hill Road

Purchase, NY

On October 5, the AJC sponsored a screening of the film “A Green Chariot,”  by acclaimed director Gilad Goldschmidt, shown at SUNY Purchase.  This film focused on some of the critical issues facing Russian Jews in Israeli society today, contrasting the orthodox Israeli culture with modern secular Russian Israelis. The screening was followed by a discussion with Sam Kliger, AJC Director for Russian Jewish Community Affairs, and Journalist Walter Ruby about the issues faced by the more than one million Jews from the former Soviet Union who have made new lives for themselves in Israel.

September 22- October 1, 2009

 Diplomatic Marathon

     From September 22 to October 1, 2009, American Jewish Committee delegation met with a number of  Foreign Ministers from the countries of the  Former Soviet Union, who arrive to New York for the opening of the General Assembly of the United Nations.  AJC met with Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.  At these meetings, matters of importance to the world and Jewish communities were discussed, including Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Israel and Middle East issues, anti-Semitism and other areas of concern addressed.

     С 22 до 27 сентября  делегация Американского Еврейского Комитета встретилась с Министрами иностранных дел стран бывшего  Советского Союза, которые прибыли в Нью-Йорк на открытие Генеральной Ассамблеи ООН.   АЕК  встретился с Азербайджаном, Эстонией, Грузией, Казахстаном, Латвией, Литвой, Россией, Украиной и Узбекистаном.  На этих встречах обсуждались вопросы, беспокоящие мировое сообщество и еврейские общины, в том числе ядерные амбиции Ирана, проблемы безопасности Израиля и мира на Ближнем Востоке, рост антисемитизма и другие вопросы.   

September 24, 2009

The AJC protests against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presence at the United Nations:

September 9, 2009

Russian Language Bill Signing Ceremony

Governor David A. Paterson invites you to attend the

Russian Language Bill Signing Ceremony

(518) 474-2150

 

The Russian Language Bill directs the New York City Board of Elections to furnish voting materials in Russian as well as English.

 

10:30 AM

Shorefront Y

3300 Coney Island Avenue

Brooklyn NY

September 2, 2009

AJC Meeting with European Azerbaijan Society

 

    On September 2, 2009, Dr Samuel Kliger, Aaron Jacob, and Doug Lieb of the American Jewish Committee met with the delegation of the European Azerbaijan Society at its request to discuss the society’s activities in Europe and in the U.S.   The EAS seeks to provide information about Azerbaijan to Americans, facilitate mutual understanding, and raise awareness of the economic opportunities for western countries working with Azerbaijan.  The society also wants to promote the Azerbaijani connection to the Jewish community, and to build its presence in Israel.  EAS is willing to cooperate with AJC on a wide range of political and social issues and human rights issues.

     2 сентября 2009, Сэм Клигер, Арон Джекоб, и Даг Либ из Американского Еврейского Комитета встретились с делегацией Европейского Общества Азербайджана, по их просьбе, чтобы обсудить деятельность общества в Европе и в США. ЕОА будет предоставлять Американцам информацию об Азербайджане способствовать взаимопониманию, и возможностям экономического сотрудничество с западными странами. Общество также хочет также развивать отношения с еврейской общиной в США и сотрудничать с Израилем.  ЕОА также надеется сотрудничать с АЕК по широкому спектру политических и социальных вопросов и проблем прав человека.

 

August 12, 2009

From Immigrant to Leader:

The success stories of Russian-speaking legislators in Israel and the U.S.

Sam Kliger presented at Dor Chadash on his personal experiences in the U.S.

August 9, 2009

For more information, please visit the LIMMUD FSU website.

July 7, 2009

TELE BRIDGE; MOSCOW --- > NEW YORK

                                                   

    7ого юля в Общественной палате в Москве прошол видеомост Москва-Нью-Йорк.

    Вместе с американскими общественниками члены ОП обсудили вопросы как; роль общественных организаций в вопросах взаимоотношений между государствами? развитие российско-американские отношения после встречи двух Президентов в Москве и т.д. В Москве участовали члены Общественной палаты РФ Александр Брод, Мария Слободская, Петр Шелищ, Александр Соколов, Сергей Ряховский. В Нью-Йорке участвовали: писатель, публицист Давид Гай; социолог Сэм Клигер; адвокат Игорь Додин; историк Светлана Данилова; редактор газеты «Форум» Михаил Немировский, а также представители американских НПО.

The American Jewish Committee remarks through their media updates:

AJC Co-Hosts Video Conference on Obama Moscow Visit

"AJC's Russian Division, in cooperation with the Moscow Bureau of Human Rights and the Public House of the Russian Federation, co-hosted an international video conference on President Obama's visit to Moscow. Sam Kliger, director of AJC's Russian Division, and Alexander Brod, director of the Moscow Bureau of Human Rights, who co-hosted the two-hour event, focused discussion on the role of non-governmental organizations in strengthening U.S.-Russian relations."

July 6, 2009

Families from Haifa Visit AJC's Russian Division

     Under the initiative of Center Makor, located in Boston, six families from Haifa were special guests to the Russian Division, along with members of the Russian speaking Jewish leadership in Boston. On their trip the group also visited the Museum of Jewish Heritage.

To learn more about the center CLICK HERE.

May 31, 2009

L'chaim, Israel

AJC proudly marched up Fifth Avenue in the Salute to Israel parade, marking Israel's 61st anniversary.

It was a great opportunity to show our solidarity with Israel under the proud banner of AJC. Hundreds of AJC staff and lay leaders came and brought family and friends. An AJC picnic in Central Park followed right after the parade. For photos from the event, please see AJC Russian Division homepage.

May 27, 2009: Museum of Jewish Heritage Event ! 

 

 

AJC's Russian Division honored Daniel Igor Branovan, a prominent member of our community & honorary member of our Board of Governors, for his outstanding commitment to the Russian-Jewish community. For more information about COJECO, who ran the event, click here.

 

Sam Kliger with Dr. Branovan (pictured left) and Sam Kliger with Councilman Nelson (pictured right).

May 7, 2009

The Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington D.C.

"Russian Jewish Immigrants to the United States: Identity and Integration Challenges"

Dr. Sam Kliger was invited to examine the identity and integration difficulties encountered by the Russian Jewish Immigrants to the US. In an attempt to continue existing as a distinct socio-cultural group (though heterogeneous within itself) in a multi-cultural American society and as a part of a global Russian-Jewish community, Russian-Jewish immigrants in the U.S. encounter various economic, political, and cultural challenges as well as numerous well-organized and long-established American Jewish groups and institutions with their own issues and identity quests. It examined Russian-American Jewish immigrants as a social group in terms of their socio-economic status, identity, religion, ideological and political views, and social and political engagement.

 

To read more about the event and the Institute CLICK HERE.

 

            

 Dr. Sam Kliger Speaking at the Kennan Institute.

 

May 6-8, 2009

AJC 2009 Annual Meeting

Washington, D.C.

 

      

Left: AJC meeting with the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the United States, Ambassador Aliyev.                      

Right: (From left to right) Peter Rosenblatt of AJC, Ambassador Aliyev, Sam Kliger of AJC.

 

April 13, 2009

Managing Religious Diversity in Kazakhstan

Dr. Sam Kliger AJC's Russian Division Director and Aaron Jacob, AJC's Director of International Affairs, met with Mr Alexandr Klyushev, President of the Association of Religious Organizations of Kazakhstan (AROK) and Carmen Ess, Program Officer of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to the United States Department of State and discussed the religious diversity in Kazakhstan.

March 26, 2009

American Jewish Historical Society -- "Gorbachev-Shultz Reunion"

David Harris AJC's Executive Director was invited to give substantive opening remarks at a historic reunion between former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, moderated by Charlie Rose. Gorbachev publicly praised it as an “outstanding speech” that, he said, helped him gain a new understanding of the Jewish community’s view of Russian and Soviet Jewish history.

Read Entire Speech in English HERE !
Pечь Харриса на русском языке читайте здесь.

George Shultz & AJC Executive Director, David Harris.

Mikhail Gorbachev & George Shultz

 

March 24, 2009

AJC ACCESS NYC

"Russia Today"

Meeting with a new generation of Russian diplomatic leaders (Ruslan Bakhtin, Chief of Press, Information and Public Relations, Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN).

      

March 18, 2009

Russian Jewish Leadership Training Program  [Final Session]

"Jewish Interest and Multiculturalism" panel discussion organized by the program's participants.

 

January 28, 2009

Orientation Session of AJC Russian Jewish Leadership Training Program

Roundtable discussion with the participants, introduction by Dr. Sam Kliger, Director of Russian-Jewish Affairs.

To view past years events, please click below.