Last update - 00:00 11/10/2007
Ex-U.S.S.R. Jews to convene for the first time at Moscow event
By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent
Representatives of Jewish communities from all over the former U.S.S.R. will come together next weekend for the first time in history in a mass event sponsored by "Limmud," a Jewish education organization.
The pluralist event will involve hundreds of classes, lectures and workshops on Jewish issues.
The first Limmud conference took place in Britain roughly 25 year ago, and it has since attracted hundreds of participants from every stream of Judaism. Two years ago, Limmud events were launched in New York, and next weekend, after three years of preparation, such an event will be held for the Jews of the former Soviet Union.
Representatives from all of the local and international Jewish organizations operating in the former Soviet Union, including rabbis from different streams of Judaism, will meet at the event.
Different prayer rooms will host prayers for reform Jews and Chabad Jews, among other streams. Rabbi Meir Azari from Tel Aviv, husband of Anna Azari, the Israeli ambassador to Russia, will take part in one of the prayers.
More than 700 participants are expected take part in the event, which will target the youngest generations of the local Jewish communities, particularly those who participated in recent years in Birthright trips to Israel.
"The most important thing here is the development of young Jewish leadership that will take responsibility for the community in the coming years," said former Jewish Agency treasurer Chaim Chesler.
Not all of the organizations active in Russia agreed at first to cooperate, but 30 organizations have agreed to take part, including the Joint, the Jewish Agency, Chabad, the World Jewish Congress and Birthright.
Alexander Pyatigorsky, the chairman of the organizing committee of the event, said that "this is the first time in the life of the Jewish community in Russia that an event is taking place that is totally voluntary - on the part of the lecturers and the organizers. What is unique is that everyone will be there, reform Jews and Chabad Jews. A completely pluralist event."
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