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David Lega as appointed as EJA new Secretary General

Sweden

EJA is very proud to announce this morning the appointment of David Lega as our new Secretary General!

Over the past year, David has served as our Senior Advisor on Advocacy, doing an excellent job and bringing his wealth of political, diplomatic, and leadership experience and skills to the role. His appointment will significantly strengthen EJA’s mission to represent and defend Jewish life, values, and interests across Europe.

David, a former Member of the European Parliament from 2019 to 2024, was one of the few Jewish parliamentarians. He served on the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Subcommittee on Human Rights, and was a board member of the European Parliament Working Group on Antisemitism. He also founded the Abraham Accords Network in the European Parliament, creating a cross-party platform for dialogue, cooperation, and peace between Europe and the Middle East.

Throughout his mandate, he was known for his strong and unwavering advocacy for Israel, his defense of human rights, and his commitment to combating antisemitism across Europe and in his native Sweden.

David Lega, newly appointed Secretary General, said:

“It is a great honor to take on this responsibility at a time when the challenges facing Jewish communities in Europe are both complex and urgent. The EJA has been at the forefront of advocacy for Jewish life and Israel in Europe, and I look forward to continuing this work with determination and hope. My goal is to strengthen our partnerships, deepen our impact and make sure that Jewish voices in Europe is not only heard, but respected.”

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the European Jewish Association, said:

“David Lega has already proven his deep commitment to the Jewish people and to our shared values. His leadership, integrity and international experience make him the right person to help steer our organization into the future. In this role, David will be responsible for managing EJA and EIPA operations and implementing the organization’s strategy, led by Tal Rabina , together with myself and our Vice Chairman, Alex Benjamin . We are delighted to welcome him as Secretary General and look forward to the energy and vision he will bring to the role.”

Under Lega’s leadership, the EJA will continue to strengthen its advocacy in European and national institutions, promote education and remembrance, and stand firmly against antisemitism in all its forms.

Additional Articles

Belgium

Chelsea awarded prestigious King David Award by the European Jewish Association

Last week Chelsea Football Club was presented with the prestigious King David Award from the European Jewish Association (EJA). Chelsea Chairman Bruce Buck hosted a delegation from the EJA for the Juventus match, during which the award was presented.

It was given in recognition of the club’s Say No To Antisemitism campaign, launched in 2018 under the direction of our owner Roman Abramovich. The campaign was developed to raise awareness of and educate players, staff, fans and the wider global community about antisemitism and to do all we can to combat it.

‘On behalf of all of our members and communities, we applaud and thank everyone at Chelsea Football Club,’ said EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin.
‘It is truly inspiring to see not only the significant investment made in this effort, but the genuine commitment to listen, to act and to make a difference. From the ground up, from grassroots initiatives to a website visited by millions, Chelsea Football Club has led the way, a shining light and example not just for other football clubs to follow, but for everyone.’
Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs, Chief Rabbi in the Netherlands and Chairman of the EJA committee on combatting antisemitism, underlined that ‘the Chelsea model is one to be replicated everywhere, and we will let governments and organisations know about the great and important work you are doing here. King David is a Jewish hero. Chelsea are now heroes to the Jewish community.’
‘We are honoured to be the latest recipients of the European Jewish Association’s King David Award,’ said Bruce Buck, who received the award on behalf of the club.
‘Since our club owner Roman Abramovich initiated our “Say No To Antisemitism” campaign in January 2018, we have been committed to working with Jewish organisations nationally and internationally to help stamp out antisemitism from our societies.
‘We will continue to use our global platforms at Chelsea to say no to antisemitism and keep up the fight against this and all other forms of discrimination.’
To learn more about Say No To Antisemitism, visit the website here

https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2021/11/29/chelsea-awarded-prestigious-king-david-award-by-the-european-jew

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Belgium

Vice Presidents Jourová and Schinas speak at 4th meeting of Working Group on Antisemitism

On 8 December, Vice-President Věra Jourová and Vice-President Margaritis Schinas participated in the 4th meeting of the Working Group on combating antisemitism. Vice-President Schinas opened the meeting with remarks on stepping up the fight against antisemitism, while Vice-President Jourová will deliver closing remarks in the afternoon. The meeting was focused on the development of national strategies against antisemitism, the practical use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, and fighting against antisemitic prejudices as part of civic orientation measures based on the EC Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion.
Values and Transparency Vice-President Věra Jourová said:  ‘It is more important than ever to think critically, to not believe immediately what you read and hear. Countering disinformation and promoting democracy are crucial principles to our democratic societies and to the functioning of the European Union.”
Vice President Schinas said: “In 2021 we will present with our first comprehensive EU strategy on combating antisemitism. Our message is clear: Europe is determined to win this fight. Europe is proud of its Jewish communities and stands by its Jewish communities.”
The European Commission created the ad-hoc Working Group on antisemitism within the existing high-level member states expert group on racism and xenophobia to help member states in the implementation of the Council Declaration on the fight against antisemitism and the development of a common security approach to better protect Jewish communities and institutions in Europe of 6 December 2018. More information on the Commission’s work to tackle antisemitism can be found here.
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Belgium Ukraine

EUROPEAN JEWISH ASSOCIATION IN EUROPE-WIDE CAMPAIGN TO HOUSE JEWISH REFUGEES FROM UKRAINE

Initiatives connects fleeing Ukrainian Jews with Jewish homes across the continent for temporary shelter. Association is also providing pick up of clothing.
As the war in Ukraine enters a second week, Europe is witnessing a huge influx of refugees fleeing Ukraine towards the West. Naturally many Ukrainian Jews are included in this surge to safety.
The Brussels-based European Jewish Association (EJA), representing hundreds of communities across the continent, has launched a Europe-wide campaign to temporarily provide homes, food and clothing to hundreds of Jewish families whose lives have been torn-apart and up-ended by the conflict in Ukraine.
The appeal has gone out to Jewish Communities from Lisbon to Lublin, Bucharest to Bordeaux and everywhere in between.
Speaking after launching the campaign, EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin said,
“The history of the Jewish people is one of displacement, either because of pogrom or war. We are only too aware of what it means to be forced to up-and-leave at a moment’s notice. In almost every one of our communities you will hear such stories. From generations ago from Spain or Galicia, from the war, to emigrating to Israel. I say this because we are especially attuned to these catastrophes. And because we are so attuned, we are pre-programmed to help our Jewish neighbours, just as we always have.
“I have faith that this campaign will deliver. Since the war started Jews from all over Europe have been getting in touch with us to see what can be done to help their Ukrainian Jewish brothers and sisters in need. We are providing them with the vehicle to do just that, by offering shelter, food and clothing to those who left in a hurry, often with nothing but the clothes on their backs.”
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Belgium

Attack at German Synagogue During Sukkot Raises Anti-Semitism Fears

BERLIN — A man wearing army fatigues and wielding a shovel attacked and badly injured a Jewish student coming out of a synagogue in Hamburg on Sunday, less than a year after an assault on a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle turned deadly.

Security guards and police officers deployed to the Hamburg synagogue, where people were marking the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, swiftly subdued and arrested a 29-year-old man, whose name the authorities did not disclose. The suspect was carrying a piece of paper with a swastika in his pocket, the German news agency DPA reported.

The 26-year-old victim, who was wearing a kipa, or skullcap, when he was attacked, suffered grave head wounds and was taken to a hospital, the police said.

“This is not a one-off case, this is vile anti-Semitism and we all have to stand against it,” the German foreign minister, Heiko Maas, wrote on Twitter.

Germany has seen the number of anti-Semitic crimes nearly double in the past three years. Last year alone, the government recorded 2,032 anti-Semitic crimes, culminating in the attack on the synagogue in Halle on Oct. 9. In that attack, a gunman tried and failed to force his way in during services for Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, and then killed two people elsewhere.

The man arrested in Halle, Stephan Balliet, 28, is currently facing trial and has spoken openly in court about his hatred not only of Jews but also of Muslims and foreigners, and of being influenced by a far-right extremist attack against two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, that killed 51 people last year

Last month, Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her concern about the rise in anti-Semitism in Germany, warning in a speech to the Central Council of Jews that it is a reality “that many Jews don’t feel safe and respected in our country.”

“Racism and anti-Semitism never disappeared, but for some time now they have become more visible and uninhibited,” the chancellor said, citing the attack in Halle as an example of “how quickly words can become deeds.”

In Halle a year ago, the congregation inside the synagogue only narrowly escaped a massacre. The door of the synagogue had been locked and withstood the clumsily built explosives meant to blow it open. In his rage the gunman later trained his weapon on other random targets in the city.

Following Sunday’s attack, Jewish organizations in Germany and beyond urged the government to increase protection and focus on long-term strategies to stamp out anti-Semitism.

“I am saddened to learn that once again, this time on the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, a German Jewish community is confronting a violent, anti-Semitic act of terror,” Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, said in a statement. “We must ask ourselves, and German local and national authorities must address the question — why does this keep happening? Why is anti-Semitism thriving?”

“The German government must take responsibility in strengthening education so that the next generation understands that hatred of any kind is never permissible,” Mr. Lauder added. “The long-term viability of Jewish life in Germany depends on it.”

The article was published on The New York Times
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