The President of the Russian Jewish Congress Calls for Unity in the Fight Against Xenophobia



Moshe Vyacheslav Kantor, the President of the Russian Jewish Congress (RJC) and the World Holocaust Forum Foundation, calls for unity in the fight against xenophobia. He spoke of this in Munich after the opening ceremony of the new Ohel Jacob synagogue. The ceremony was dedicated to the 68th anniversary of the tragic events, which took place on the eve of the 10th of December in 1938. On this night, known as the Crystal Night, Jewish pogroms took place in Germany.

The opening of the new synagogue is an important event, considering that today nationalism and xenophobia are surfacing all over the world, including in Russia and Germany, said the President of the RJC. In his opinion, it is important for Jews living in different countries to maintain a close connection and offer mutual support.

The new synagogue was built on the site of a Jewish sacred place, which had been destroyed by the Nazis in 1938. The commemorative ceremony was attended by hundreds of guests, including the German president Horst Kohler, government representatives, politicians and other public figures. The synagogue is part of a complex, which will also house the Jewish Community Center and the Jewish History Museum.

The President of RJC is convinced that The position taken by authorities plays the most crucial role in the fight against xenophobia. He adds, It is common knowledge that nationalism can triumph only with the support of the authorities. Without it, nationalism doesn'st stand a chance with society.

Kantor believes that anti-Semitism and xenophobia is a disease of our civilization. Our goal is stop it from spreading. He asserts that, To do this we must speak about the Holocaust louder and more often and show resistance to all attempts to question the Holocaust, no matter where they originate.

The Forum in Kiev which took place on the 27th of September of this year on our initiative, was the second of its kind since last year'ss Forum Let My People Live! in Krakow and it forced everyone to think about the possible consequences that anti-Semitism and xenophobia could lead to if we don'st stand up to these phenomena, noted Moshe Vyacheslav Kantor.

The next forum is planned to take place in November 2008 in Berlin, Germany and will mark the 70th anniversary of the tragic events of the Crystal Night.

Press Service of the Russian Jewish Congress
www.rjc.ru





The President of the Russian Jewish Congress Calls for Unity in the Fight Against Xenophobia