Thumbs up for new Jewish Agency chairman

NAOMI LEVIN

THE appointment of former Russian refusenik Natan Sharansky as the new chairman of the Jewish Agency in Israel has been welcomed in Australia.

Sharansky, who made aliyah in 1986 and was a former minister in the Israeli government, was unanimously elected to the position by the Jewish Agency board of governors.

Jack Smorgon, president of the United Israel Appeal (UIA) in Australia, welcomed the appointment. He said he was yet to meet Sharansky, but was present when the new chairman accepted the position.

“I’ve heard him speak on several occasions, including the other day at the Jewish Agency, where he was elected,” Smorgon said. “He sounded very keen to get into the job and get started.”

Outgoing chairman of the board of governors Richard Pearlstone called Natan Sharansky a “true hero”, saying: “He is a man of deep vision and understanding of the Jewish people and, as such, he will lead the Jewish Agency forward with determination and clarity of purpose.”

Sharansky is expected to oversee the Jewish Agency’s many tasks — from monitoring aliyah, which is dwindling, to helping Israel’s disadvantaged young people.

Smorgon said there may still be scope for Sharansky to help new migrants from the former Soviet Union.

He said the committee of the Jewish Agency, which looks after that area of the world, told the meeting there were still Jewish people languishing in the former Soviet Union, albeit not in the larger cities.

Sharansky told Ha’aretz it was the Jewish Agency’s role to build up Jewish identity in the Diaspora in an attempt to encourage aliyah.

“One of the biggest challenges is the weakening of [Jewish] identity and assimilation all over the world,” he said.