NCSEJ
Weekly News Update 

WASHINGTON, D.C. September 24, 2014


TO: NCSEJ Leadership and Interested Parties

FROM: Stephen M. Greenberg, Chairman;
Alexander Smukler, NCSEJ President;
Mark B. Levin, NCSEJ Executive Director
  

 

Dear Friend,

Unfortunately, the Kyiv Jewish community reported that the Baby Yar Monument was desecrated with swastikas last night. The Jewish community believes this was a provocation, and asked the security services and the Kyiv Prosecutor's office to investigate. This act of vandalism was committed before Rosh Hashanah and the annual commemoration of mass execution of Jews in the Baby Yar on September 29. From 70,000 to 200,000 Jews were murdered in the Baby Yar in the period from 1941 to 1943.   

 

NCSEJ has been at the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York this week, in meetings with foreign leaders, including Latvian President Andris Berzins, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, Georgia's Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze, and Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Issues discussed included the crisis in Ukraine, the status of the Jewish communities in these countries, and the situation in the Middle East.

  

Yesterday, the Lithuanian parliament passed a law permitting ritual slaughter in the country, which was welcomed by the Jewish Community of Lithuania.

 

In Moscow and St. Petersburg, thousands of demonstrators marched on Sunday against Russia's aggression in Ukraine. In Moscow, this was largest opposition protest since 2012.


Finally, on behalf of NCSEJ I would like to wish you a happy and healthy New Year. L'Shana Tova!

Sincerely,

 

Mark B. Levin

Executive Director




Please visit http://ncsej.org/NCSEJ-Wkly.pdf  
for NCSEJ's Weekly News Update.


About NCSEJ
Founded in 1971, NCSEJ represents the organized American Jewish community in monitoring and advocating on behalf of the estimated 1.5 million Jews in Eastern Europe and Eurasia, including the 15 successor states of the former Soviet Union. 
 
Website: www.ncsej.org   
Email: ncsejinfo@ncsej.org 
Phone: 202-898-2500 
 
 
NCSEJ is a beneficiary of The Jewish Federations of North America and the National Federation/Agency Alliance through its network of Federations. 
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