EJC Executive Vice-President and CEO Raya Kalenova and EJC Director of European Affairs Ariella Woitchik participated in the fifth meeting of the European Commission working group on the implementation of the EU strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life.
The meeting took place in Brussels, Belgium, bringing together representatives of national Jewish communities, international and civil society organisations, national ministries, members of the European Parliament, and high-level officers of the European Institutions.
Among the issues discussed at the working group were the impact of the Hamas terrorist attacks on European Jewish communities, the rise of online antisemitism, the development and implementation of national strategies against antisemitism, and the IHRA charter for Safeguarding Holocaust Sites.
EJC Executive Vice-President and CEO Raya Kalenova delivered opening remarks at the working group meeting, alongside European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas, European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life Katarina von Schnurbein, WJC Executive Vice-President and CEO Maram Stern and Deputy Head of the Mission of Israel to the EU & NATO Jonathan Rosenzweig.
In her speech, Raya Kalenova emphasized the importance of enhancing and strengthening the protection of Jewish communities during these challenging times and highlighted the significant work of SACC by EJC in safeguarding Jewish institutions across the EU and beyond.
EJC Director of European Affairs, Ariella Woitchik, participated in the panel discussion on the ‘Impact of the Hamas terrorist attacks on Jewish communities.’
She provided an overview of the repercussions of the Hamas massacre of October 7 on the safety and well-being of European Jewish communities and suggested concrete actions for EU institutions and national authorities to combat antisemitism.
Yad Vashem Chairman Ambassador Dani Dayan also addressed the participants and talked about the work of his institution in the midst of the war against Hamas.
Representatives of EJC-affiliated communities from across the European Union were present in the working group meeting and expressed their concerns and worries in the aftermath of the worst tragedy for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.
