The President of France met with the Rabbis of the Conference
of European Rabbis (CER) at the conclusion of its 24th
meeting, held this time in France. The Meeting of the
Conference of European Rabbis began on Monday of last week
(May 3--12 Iyar) under an unprecedented level of security
measures. Some 300 leading rabbonim and dayanim of
Europe, along with leaders of major Jewish organizations,
arrived for the Meeting this year that was held at the
Chateau De Grande Romaine in the Parisian suburbs.
At their meeting, Chirac told the distinguished delegation.
"I have ordered the police commanders to increase security
around Jewish institutions. The countries of the European
Union must protect the Jews of Europe, and they will all work
together to eradicate antisemitism," said Chirac.
"I will not allow antisemites to become active anywhere in
Europe, and especially not in France. I ask you to transmit
this message to the entire world: France is not antisemitic
and all the countries of the European Union must protect
European Jewry and work together against all outbreaks of
antisemitism," said Jacques Chirac, the President of France,
to a delegation from the CER that was led by Rabbi Yosef
Sitruk, Chief Rabbi of France and president of the CER.
The French president met the CER delegation in the Elysee
palace as soon as he returned from a trip to Ireland. The
distinguished CER delegation included: Dayan Rabbi Chanoch
Ehrentreu (London), Rabbi Avraham Gigi (Brussels), Dayan
Rabbi Nissim Rebibo, Rabbi David Mashash (Paris), Rabbi
Pinchas Goldschmidt (Moscow), Rabbi Yitzchak Chaliba
(Turkey), Rabbi Nachum N. Guttentag (Manchester), Rabbi
Abrams, Rabbi Moshe Lebel (Russia). The CER rabbonim were
invited to the meeting with Chirac at the conclusion of their
Conference, which was held in Paris suburbs.
President Chirac, who greeted the rabbonim warmly, expressed
great interest in a proposal of Rabbi Lebel that France set
up an inter-European agency to fight antisemitism, that would
include representatives of all religions. Chirac also noted
that he believes that the European Constitution, currently
being developed by the European Union, should not say that
the European Community is based on Christianity. "Europe is
based on many cultures and religions," Chirac told the
rabbonim.
The Chairman of the Standing Committee, Chief Rabbi of Moscow
Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, told Chirac that the whole world
is watching France, and especially the European countries
that recently joined the European Union, many of whom have
serious problems of antisemitism in their past.
At a press conference, Secretary General of the CER, Rabbi
Abba Dunner, said that his organization, in partnership with
the European Union, will set up an information center that
will focus on antisemitism and communities. "This new center
will express the strong emphasis placed by the rabbis on the
daily struggle against rising antisemitism in Europe that is
having a deep impact on community life," said Rabbi Dunner,
who added that the other major struggle is an internal one
against Jewish assimilation that has reached monstrous
proportions in Europe and especially in England. This
struggle must be won by setting up an appropriate Rabbinical
and communal infrastructure that will present a true
alternative in all European countries for those Jews who feel
alienated in the Jewish aspect of their lives. Workshops on
this matter were held in the course of the current meeting of
the CER. Further workshops are arranged from time to time in
all the countries of Europe.
This was the 24th biennial gathering of the CER, held
regularly since the founding of the Conference almost half a
century ago. The current president of the Conference of
European Rabbis is Rabbi Yosef Sitruk, chief rabbi of France.
Guest of Honor at the Meeting was Rabbi Ovadia Yosef of
Israel.
Rabbi Abba Dunner, the Secretary General of the Conference,
said that this year the meeting was also under the patronage
of the European Commission, and that it discussed the growing
antisemitism throughout Europe. Rabbi Dunner added that "the
most important attempt to take the pulse of Jewry and to
measure its reaction to the new outbreaks of antisemitism was
in France. Just this week there were three antisemitic
incidents: in a cemetery, in a synagogue, and the beating of
a Jew on a city street. We must react firmly and enlist all
the states of Europe to fight against this new and ugly
phenomenon."
The CER awarded Certificates of Recognition to the two
patrons of the Meeting: Mr. Moshe Kantor, President of the
Board of Governors of the European Jewish Congress, and Mr.
Alexander Mashkevitz, President of the Euro-Asian Jewish
Congress.
On Wednesday a special lecture by Rabbi Yitzchok Silberstein
of Bnei Brak was transmitted live on the topic, "Bone Marrow
Transplants in Halacha." The transmission was sponsored by
Concat Israel. Additional workshops were held on techniques
of mass communication and interpersonal communication,
management and strategic planning in organizations,
institutions and communities, and rabbinical responses to
practical issues in various areas including outreach.
On Wednesday evening there was a dinner in honor of Rabbi
Moshe Rose, outgoing Director of the Conference of European
Rabbis, who is leaving after 42 years of dedicated
service.
