“I am aware of the diverse and difficult situations in which the Jewish communities find themselves and I am concerned when I hear that Jews, 76 years after the Shoah, consider leaving Europe because they feel that they are no longer safe, because they do not see a future for their children in our countries. Or even because they feel they have seen it before.”
European Commissioner Vera Jourova, in charge of Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, in an address as host of an annual EuroChanukah event at the Berlaymont, seat of the European Commission in Brussels.
The Commissioner, from the Czech Republic, assured the Jewish community that “the European Commission and I personally will do everything we can to ensure that Jews in Europe can live the lives they want to live.”
“Anything else would be a failure. As it has been said on many occasions, Europe without Jews is no longer Europe,” she added.
“When Jewish Rights are Human Rights, the struggle for the right of Jews to live, study and pray as Jews is always used to advance Human rights worldwide.”
EuroChanukah is organized every year by the European Jewish Community Centre (EJCC) together with the European Commission.
This year, falling just a few days before the International Human Rights Day, the event was dedicated to Elie Wiesel, Nobel Laureate, Holocaust survivor and writer, a man who has devoted his life to sharing his own light to better the world.
“Chanukah teaches us that a small light can dissolve much darkness. It encourages people to share their individual light and to appreciate each other,” said EJCC Director Rabbi Avi Tawil.
Vera Jourova ended her speech by wishing the audience ”Chanukah Sameach” (Happy Chanukah).
So proud !!!!! BMC S. Agathe graduate lighting up the world ! Together with her husband!!! Great work!!!!! A real inspiration!!!!
Looks so nice and elegant. So proud of the tzniusdiga and classy dressed shlucha. When there’s a will there’s a way. Just beautiful!! Thank you. Hope other shluchos take an example from you.
(No, I’m not related.)
European Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova, might actually care about Jews, but most European leaders and most people in Europe, do not care. They have antisemitic laws like the one that says that goods made in the Golan Heights cannot be labeled ‘made in Israel’. And they show no sensitivity toward Jewish suffering. In France for example, when they had a rally showing support for those killed in the Charlie Hebdo massacres, they held up signs for those working at the magazine, but not for Jews who were also targeted in those attacks. Not one sign said anything about Jews were… Read more »