The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), an international Jewish organization representing dozens of Jewish communities and organizations in Eastern European and Asian countries, announced that it would invest $1 million in the Taglit Birthright project, in order to bring hundreds of young men and women from these countries on a visit of Israel, as part of a ten-day experiential and educational trip. For many of them, it will be their first visit to the country.

Since Taglit Birthright was started 17 years ago, more than 45,000 Russian speakers participated in trips to Israel. The new investment is done in an effort to expand activity among Eastern European countries and Asia, with a goal of including more Russian-speaking Jews in the project.

Mikhael‏ Mirilashvili, President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress and a Vice-president of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), is behind the new move. He said: “This new act will enable hundreds of young people from Russia and other countries to take part in the Taglit project. I am certain their participation in Taglit will strengthen participants’ Jewish identity, will strengthen their communities which are members of our congress and will strengthen the State of Israel as well. Strong Jewish communities are important to the State of Israel exactly as much as a strong independent Jewish state is important to Jews of the Diaspora. Our young people are the future of the Jewish people and there is great importance in their connection to the Land of Israel.”

The director of Taglit Brithright, Gidi Mark, lauded Mirilashvili’s donation: “Taglit is celebrating 600,000 participants this year, half a million of them from the Diaspora. With the generous help of Mr. Mirilashvili and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, we will succeed in bringing a record number of young people from the diaspora to Israel this year, and for this we thank them from the bottom of our hearts.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)