Christmas is coming.

It is a good tradition among Ukrainians to congratulate their family members and close friends with this holiday.

Therefore, today I also want to congratulate all Christians with the upcoming Christmas and wish peace and calmness to everyone! For the believers of all confessions Christmas is the symbol of harmony and love of neighbour. Let this holiday motivates us to the mutual understanding and unity for the sake of our motherland prosperity.

The essence of this holiday is a trust in the peaceful world, which belongs to each of us, it is hope of salvation and love of a neighbour. Today we all believe that Ukraine will live in peace, harmony and prosperity.

These days Christians feel unity with each other in a very special way. The song of salvation and victory of good over evil sounds from all Ukrainian temples, and families celebrate birth of the Christ together.

I wish this holiday fill your souls with happiness and kindness! I wish that the long-awaited peace would finally set in Ukraine and in the whole world! Please accept my sincerest greetings and wishes!

Dear friends!

I heartily congratulate you on upcoming New Year!

The last year was difficult for all of us. We have passed challenges and have become stronger. Ukrainian and Israeli people have one common goal - we want to live in peace.

There is a saying in Israel: "The year will pass with its curses, the new will start with its blessings."

May next year bring you and your family happiness, joy and hope for the best!

On the New Year’s Eve, I want to wish Ukraine and Israel peace and faith in their own strength!

I am convinced that we can achieve stability only through joint efforts. Only optimism and faith in oneself will help us to overcome difficulties.

I am sure that friendship between us will become stronger and partnership even more reliable over next year.

Let the upcoming year will be generous for good luck, brings you love, happiness, family welfare and respect.

I wish peace, harmony and prosperity to you and your families! Happy New Year!

According to the annual tradition a delegation from Israel was invited to Ukraine by the Jewish Agency for Israel.

As a rule the delegation includes representatives of the executive and legislative authorities, public and cultural figures.

To my opinion these visits are very important and productive. They help not only to get acquainted with the country, but also go into the activities of the Jewish organizations operating in Ukraine more deeply, to understand their problems and concerns.

The vice-speaker of the Knesset and the head of the delegation M.K. Meir Cohen, M.K. Hamad Amar, M.K. Nava Boker and M.K. Merial Ben Arias, Secretary General of the Jewish Agency for Israel Zhosch Schwartz, the Head of the speaker’s administration Albert Saharovich, Adviser of the Prime Minister on politic issues Kobe Tsoref, the member of staff of the Ministry of Interior in the State of Israel Lior Sugar and other officials visited Ukraine this year.

Most of the delegates visited Ukraine for the first time. Israeli politicians were impressed by the activities of the Jewish community.

I am very glad that I had the opportunity to show for such an honorable delegation the activity of the Honorary Consulate. We were able to discuss a number of initiatives. Their implementation will considerably strengthen the cooperation between Israel and the Western Ukraine.

The festive dinner organized by the Honorary Consulate in honor of Hanukkah except members of the Israeli delegation was visited by the head of the faction “Samopomich” and the deputy of Verkhovna Rada Oleh Bereziuk, the Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine on European Integration Rutytska Vladyslava and the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Science and education Lilia Grinevich. Ukrainian and Israeli politicians concurred in necessity of creating a free trade area, strengthening and expansion of cooperation in the social and cultural sphere.

At the beginning of the evening Rabbi Jonathan Markovich lit a hanukkah candle.

Dear friends,

I want to congratulate all the Jews on the holiday of Hanukkah!

Hanukkah is a day of freedom, victory of light over darkness, when the power of human hope and the heaven miracle defeated tyrant. Hanukkah menorah is a symbol of victory. I know that with the help of our hope we can win all the enemies again and hold out in the struggle for our own future.

Within these days when holiday lights are lighted, I want that each house will be illiminated by this light filling with joy every soul that would bring peace and tranquility in our families. I wish you all happy holidays! I sincerely wish that in your families, like the Chanukah lights, multiply the hope and well-being!

Dear friends!

Today I met with Mr. Natan Sharansky, the chairman of the Jewish Agency ("Jewish Agency"). I would like to acquaint you with this legendary man.

Natan Sharansky is a dissident, a human rights activist, a writer, an outstanding statesman. But above all, he is a man of the epoch. Sharansky’s life is a symbol of the fight for beliefs. He was able to prove by his own example that any human or citizen could resist the system. Even during his imprisonment he became a symbol of the struggle with the Soviet totalitarian system: thousands of people, being angry with puppet trial of Sharansky, united around the world and came out for human rights. In 1977 Sharansky was arrested on charges of treason and anti-Soviet agitation. As a result he was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment: thecompletion of sentence for first three years was in prison and during following years he had to be in a forced labor camp. The Soviet Union agreed to release him only after numerous demonstrations around the world and petitions of politicians in Europe and the United States. For nine years his wife Avital made continuous efforts to release her husband. She convinced politicians and powerful Jews all over the world not to weaken the pressure on the Soviet authorities and force them to release her husband. Under the influence of the international community, the Soviet officials expressed their willingness to release Sharansky but if he personally would ask to do this for humanitarian reasons. He refused.

However the imprisonment did not break him. On the contrary, it became a kind of "starting point" confirming that he fought for the truth. "Next year in Jerusalem", said Sharansky in the court. Only on 11 February 1986, Sharansky, two West German citizens and a Czech citizen were released on the border of West Berlin. They were exchanged for Soviet spy Yevgeni Zemlyakov, Czech spies Karl Koecher and Hana Koecher arrested in the USA, Polish spy Ezgi Kachmarek and East German spy Detlef Scharfenorth

Such people like Natan Sharansky were called "prisoners of conscience". They can not live without their moral beliefs, they are not able to betray, humiliate or lie. Natan Sharansky would never call white black: many times he was on the brink of physical exhaustion, starved, appealing against injustice and lies. Either way, he was trying to wake up the sleeping consciousness of former fellow citizens, to show them that you can not be afraid of.

For years Natan Sharansky has been conducting awareness activity to unite the Israeli, to restore its traditions and ideas and among young people, to help those who want to find their own home again. In his work he is guided by the same principles as before - justice, honesty, conscience.

I am very glad that I can communicate freely with people like Natan Sharansky. I think that it would be great for each of us to have at least a tenth of that fortitude which this man has.

“They attacked our airplane while it was peacefully bombing our cities…”

The events of last week made us recollect “cold War” when propaganda convinced us to arm, defend and fight back to theoretical enemy. Nowadays poles are changed. It is time of deterrence. Whom do we restrain? And the main issue is “from what”?

November 24, after many warnings Turkish Air Force shot down Russian SU-24 fighter jet which violated its air space. This event became the point of no return in relationship between the world community and Russia.

For last 20 years the world community is in the state of “abiding concern” silently observing Russia’s aggressive actions against Slavic and other “fraternal people”. Imaginary empire gradually tries to bring back territories which were considered being their own. The main argument in this process is Grad multiple rocket launcher system, air-fighters and Special military forces.

Last 2 years clearly demonstrate that European “policy of deep anxiety” hasn’t even moral influence on the situation solution. No country gave a rebuff to Russia for its actions. What is the result of implementation of economic sanctions against Russia? Those Russians, who get used to eat jamon and oysters, now are flying to the “forbidden” European countries to eat them there. The rest of people is eating potato as usual.

While European politicians express “deep anxiety” again, Turkey behaves like a true eastern warrior: if it is another warplane, another rocket will be an answer. Position of Erdogan is more that decisive.

Softly speaking Russia’s position is strange. “It’s a stab in back, we impose sanctions”.

The stab in back is to bring troops to the territory of another state and to declare “Crimea is ours”. The stab in back is “green people” and auto-caravans with weapons disguised as humanitarian goods. And we can say that there are many of these stabs.

Is it a stab in back to shoot down a warplane of other country which violated airspace of your state that doesn’t react on warnings? It’s a slap in face. It is deserved and given in time.

Should we be so afraid of Russia? Why is it still for the world community the terrible super-power state which the Soviet Union was? Why does Europe keep looking with caution at the East without knowing what to expect? Why do Russian aircraft keep flying into the territory of the united Europe “by accident”? Maybe it is high time to understand that history will not repeat? USSR is dead and only Russia remembers it.

Nowadays the Turkish Air Force is the second largest one in the Middle East following Israel. The Turkish Naval Forces are based along the European coast exceeding far the power of Russia.

November 29, a Russian military jet violated Israeli airspace. Is it a coincidence? It is hard to believe that the Russian aircraft navigation system fails so often. The situation was resolved only by the Defense Minister of Israel. We can see that Russia keeps its provocative policy in an attempt to return its influence in the Middle East and make a bipolar world again.

It is always difficult to live next to a neighbor who is unpredictable: Israel knows about it firsthand. But it is impossible to live in peace with that one which provokes you not by stone throwing but military flights, "lost" warships and nuclear submarines. If Turkey being not the most powerful county in economy and military, meets the challenge with dignity - maybe it's time for European politicians to protect themselves not only by sanctions?

Israeli cultural centre under the patronage of the Honorary Consulate of the State of Israel in Western Ukraine keeps conducting awareness activity in Ukraine.

Last week a seminar dedicated to klezmer music took place at the cultural centre which was held by teachers and musicians Polina Shepherd (England) and Ilja Saytanov (Moscow). Experienced teachers were presenting a musical tradition of Eastern European Jews to the youth of Lviv.

Music of Eastern European Jews originates from national music of ancient Israel. Klezmers were Jewish musicians in Eastern Europe. This word comes from “kli-zemer” that means “musical instrument” in Hebrew, in Yiddish this word means just “musician”.

Any Jewish national celebration and there are many of them, were always accompanied by cheerful music. You cannot imagine wedding, bar-mizva, Hanuka or even funeral without musicians. Also Jewish musicians were often invited to Slavic national celebrations as a part of joined bands. The main and favourite instruments of klezmer music became violin, cymbals, clarinet, trumpet and drums.

The result of 3-days seminar was a concert-improvisation for musicians from Lviv region. Besides, an exhibition “Jewish craft” (“Creative workshop” Nechama) has been opened in the Honorary Consulate. The exhibition consists of works made by various techniques – from ancient (such as Jewish rejzele or embroidery which is the art of creating lacy patterns on paper) to contemporary.

The works of participants of creative workshop “Nehama” are made in technique of stained glass painting, cold and hot batik, ceramics painting and also in very popular technique of felting - wool felting.

The works of Jewish masters, musicians and painters are filled with emotions. For centuries of harassment Jews learned to appreciate life. If a Jewish is sad, he expresses his grief passionately in a sorrow melody. Also joy of Jewish nation is impetuous, it captivates you even through a rainy day.

We propose you to visit Jewish cultural centre in Lviv to see the works of the artists personally.