AS DEEP DARKNESS OF ANTISEMITISM SPREADS ACROSS EU – MONTENEGRIN MODEL IS BADLY NEEDED, EU JEWISH CHIEF TELLS PRESIDENT
Brussels 7 March 2019. Rabbi Menachem Margolin, presenting The President of Montenegro Mr Milo Dukanovic with the European King David Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution in supporting and protecting Jews in Montenegro, said his leadership stands in isolation as “the deep darkness of antisemitism spreads across the continent.”
The President met with with Senior representatives of European Jewry, including the chief Rabbi of the Netherlands, the president of the Belgian League against antisemitism, and the Secretary General of B’nei Brith Europe, amongst others, who reported on the rising levels of antisemitism and hate crimes in their countries.
In stark contrast, the President of the Montenegrin Jewish Community Mr Dorde Raicewic and Rabbi Ari Edelkopf, the Rabbi of Montenegro spoke about how Jews are welcomed, how there is no security needed at Jewish buildings and that it is safe to walk the streets.
Rabbi Menachem Margolin, the Chairman of the EJA, prior to presenting the award, said as part of his speech,
“Montenegro may be a relatively small country, but even a small light can burn darkness away.
The deep darkness of antisemitism is spreading across Europe. France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and many others, the oldest hatred is finding its voice again in dark corners and spreading like a malignant virus.
Time and time again we hear European leaders saying enough is enough, but little changes and the darkness keeps spreading.
These countries must embrace and enshrine not only the Montenegrin Model of co-existence, but welcome the country into the European Union where it can provide a leading and immensely valuable role in fighting the scourge of antisemitism. It is deeply ironic that Montenegro must knock on the door to get inside when the country itself is miles ahead of the vast majority of EU countries in protecting freedom of religion and supporting minorities.
“We earnestly thank the President for all his hard work, in helping create and supporting the first synagogue in the country, in the example he sets for others to follow and for his humbling and deep convictions and care when it comes to protecting and nurturing this small but flourishing Jewish community.
My message to all EU Leaders is this: take note, act and share the light of Montenegro now before the darkness consumes us all.”
AS JEWISH CEMETERY IN SLOVAKIA IS DEFACED AGAIN, EUROPEAN JEWISH ASSOCIATION URGES SLOVAK GOVERNMENT TO CLAMP DOWN HARD ON REPULSIVE PERPETRATORS AND INCREASE HOLOCAUST EDUCATION PROVISION
Immediate focus after bringing prosecutions against perpetrators must be on education says EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin.
(Brussels 17 March 2025) A Jewish Cemetery in Humenne, Slovakia was desecrated with the daubing of Swastikas on headstones. This is the second time that the Cemetery was attacked, and follows a pattern of attacks over the last years on Jewish cemetaries.
The cemetery stands as memorial monument to a lost community, wiped out in the Holocaust.
The Brussels based European Jewish Association represents hundreds of Jewish Communities across Europe. Its Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin has written to the Slovak Minister of Education, Mr Tomas Drucker urging his department to increase Holocaust education in all schools and for his government clamp down hard and prosecute the perpetrators.
In a statement today, Rabbi Margolin said,
“The desecration of Jewish graves is heinous, repulsive and a betrayal of memory. These stones stand as a testament to a community that vanished after humanity’s lowest point: the Holocaust
“I have written to the Slovakian Education Minister to increase Holocaust education in Slovakia. When graveyards are habitually desecrated it points to a sickness in society that needs to be addressed.
“The best cure, other than the perpetrators feeling the full weight of justice, is through education, in particular of learning the lessons of the Holocaust and where mindless hatred can lead a society. The government must clamp down hard.”
Rabbi Menachem Margolin:
“The story of Chanukah teaches us that the Jewish people did not win the battle because they were the stronger, but because G-d saw that they were fighting for their beliefs with all their heart.
G-d created the world and everything in it. He also created the different conflicts in it.
Therefore what we should take from this fact is that if conflict or challenges are given to us in order to test us or to strengthen our resolve.
We are therefore wiser if we recognise that we should not run away from challemges but fight them and win, and in doing so we can look for more and more miracles like the one that happened at this time of Chanukah.
Dear Prime Minister, in our days, where we are experiencing a lot of racism, anti-Semitism and hatred we should not be frightened by these challenges either. Because if we will all fight it constantly, eventually our way will win.
Chag Shameach”
