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News
from and about Ukraine & Ukrainians
Ukrainian Community Press Releases |
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News
from and about Ukraine & Ukrainians
Ukrainian Community Press Releases |
SURPRISE PHOTO AT THE BOTTOM!
Chief Rabbi of Kiev Seeks to Increase Humanitarian and Financial Aid to Ukraine
Chief Rabbi of Kiev and Ukraine, Yaakov D. Bleich NEW YORK – On Wednesday evening March 17, 1999, the Chief Rabbi of Kiev and Ukraine, Yaakov D. Bleich, spoke to a Ukrainian Diasporan audience in New York City. His presentation was about his official meetings in Washington, DC as part of a delegation of Ukrainian Jewish community leaders and businessmen from Kyiv. His talk took place at the headquarters of Shevchenko Scientific Society (NTSh) and was organized by the Society of Ukrainian and Jewish Relations (SUJR), together with the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council (UACC) and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA).
The New York meeting was to have included several other members from the delegation. However, the Rabbi was the only one able to attend. The meeting convened nearly one hour later than planned and began with short introductions to the audience by Askold Lozynskyj, President of UCCA and the Ukrainian World Congress, and Mr. Eugene Stakhiv who heads the SUJR. Links to the complete audio portions of the presentations as well as the question-and-answer session which followed are available below via RealAudio. Mr. Lozynskyj’s and Mr. Stakhiv’s introductory remarks were in Ukrainian, while almost the entirety of Rabbi Bleich’s discourse and the questions that followed were in English.
The purpose of Rabbi Bleich’s and his fellow delegates’ trip to the U.S. from Ukraine was twofold. It was: 1) to formally announce a new confederation of Ukrainian Jewish organizations that will work on Jewish issues both nationally and internationally and, 2) to meet with U.S. government officials and leaders of Jewish organizations in order "to bring the message in the name of the Jewish community of how we are concerned about the future of Ukraine, especially in light of the elections." In his Wednesday talk, he stated that "the Jewish community speaks loudly in support of a stable democracy in Ukraine, … and the strategic relationship between the United States and Ukraine." He also mentioned that the confederation has a great deal of pride not only as a Jewish organization, but as a Jewish organization in Ukraine.
Rabbi Bleich with Mr. Eugene Stakhiv Rabbi Bleich covered several areas of concern on Wednesday evening. On the political front, references were made to Ukraine’s Communist leader Symonenko (the Rabbi quoted him as saying " … we lost our independence in 1991…"), Socialist Party leader and former Parliament speaker Moroz ("...let’s face it, he’s a commie…"), current Parliament speaker Tkachenko (possibly more dangerous than Belarus’ Lukashenko, according to Rabbi Bleich) and President Kuchma. Kuchma is said to have suggested the actions taken by the West are forcing Ukraine to consider union with Russia. Ukraine is not interested in political union with Russia, according to Bleich, especially since the recent changes in the proximity of NATO’s borders. Ukraine’s eyes look to the West, says the Rabbi.
Discussing the delegation’s trip to Washington DC, the Rabbi said that the principle concerns were Ukraine’s loss of 1999 U.S. Department of Agricultural credits ($200 million) and humanitarian aid (none given this year) because of an outstanding debt of $3.6 million owed by Ukraine to American firms. Rabbi Bleich pointed out that Ukraine was not the only one to suffer as a result of the US decision to withhold aid, but that American farmers bear the punishment as well. A $20 million shipment of cotton that had been slated for Ukraine (but never shipped), would not only have created jobs in clothing factories to help spur the growth of GNP in Ukraine, but was also a sale that would have benefited American farmers
On Jewish affairs in Ukraine, the Rabbi stated unequivocally that the Jewish community supports a strong democracy and economy in Ukraine. What’s good for Ukraine is what’s good for the Jewish community, said Rabbi Bleich. There are nearly 200,000 Jews living in Ukraine now, and there is an annual attrition rate of approximately 10% due to Jews emigrating to Israel. He said that undoubtedly this number would change dramatically if economic conditions in Ukraine improved.
Stefa Charczenko (v-p, SUJR) With respect to anti-Semitism, the Rabbi feels that there is little evidence of it in Ukraine, and what one does see, must be viewed within the context of a regional interpretation. In answer to a question put by Stefa Charczenko, he said "you cannot judge anti-Semitism in Ukraine according to Western standards," and he does not believe it is on the rise. (The Rabbi elaborated on this topic further, as you can hear in the audio file below.)
There are over 350 various active Jewish organizations in Ukraine today. Tens of millions of dollars are pumped into these organizations largely by the Jewish Diaspora. Much of the financing for the over 30 Jewish social services organizations in existence today is based in property reclamation from Germany. Rabbi Bleich said that the Ukrainian survivors organization was invited to join them to learn from their experience in negotiations with Germany, and then use the funding for social welfare programs in Ukraine. The German government is also urging the Ukrainians not to settle for one-time transfer payments, but to distribute the funds through social service organizations, according to the Rabbi. So far, he said, there has been no interest from the Ukrainian group to follow their recommendations.
Nearly 5,000 students are attending the 16 Jewish schools throughout Ukraine, 12 of which are supported in part by the Ukrainian government. According to Rabbi Bleich, every child must learn the national anthem of Ukraine, which is sung a the start and end of every school year. Of the Jewish schools that are found in Kyiv and to the west of Kyiv, classes are conducted in Ukrainian. To the east of Kyiv, classes are in Russian, although Ukrainian is taught as a required course. At Solomon University in Kyiv, despite the fact that it was founded by Jews and supported by Jews, the student body is primarily non-Jewish.
(l-r) Rabbi Bleich, Mr. Myroslaw Shmigel (Head of UCCA New York Div.), Mr. Andrij Lastowecky (SUJR,UACC) Rabbi Bleich closed his presentation with strong recommendations for the Ukrainian community to build a lobby in Washington that will work to represent both Ukrainian-American and Ukraine’s interests. He emphasized that without such a lobby, in contrast to the active Jewish lobbyists in Washington, Ukrainian voices will not be heard. It’s pretty sad, Rabbi Bleich said in answer to the question put by Jurij Shevchuk of Svoboda, that the seriously understaffed Ukrainian lobby in Washington had to be told by the Jewish delegation about the cuts in agricultural aid to Ukraine. Later when asked about potential cooperation between Jewish and Ukrainian organizations, the Rabbi made it clear that while support in the form of letters and the like of actions taken by Ukrainian organizations can be offered, no active participation should be expected due to the fact that Jewish organizations have their own goals and tasks to contend with.
Despite his relative youth, the 34-year-old Yaakov Bleich is charged with the leadership and care of a large population of Jewish Ukrainian citizens as the Chief Rabbi of Kiev and Ukraine. He is very well-acquainted with the political and socio-economic climate in Ukraine, and is clearly committed to improving the conditions of Ukrainian Jews and all of Ukraine. Brooklyn-born Rabbi Bleich has been living in Ukraine for the past 10 years. He is self-assured, outspoken and straighforward, yet diplomatic and likes to disarm his audience by making his point in the form of jokes. The Ukrainian communities of the West and Ukraine both look forward to maintaining strong ties and a good relationship with the Jewish community through this charismatic individual, Rabbi Yaakov Bleich.
Rabbi Bleich and his family are pictured here in traditional Ukrainian costumes. Once a year, on Purim, also known as the Feast of Esther, religious Jews are permitted to don clothing that is out of character with the ritual garb dictated by Jewish law. This particular practice has been likened to masquerading in costume during Halloween, a favorite holiday among children in America.
A. Krill and M. Pyziur, BRAMA
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