Fried, Dudu Sing at Kremlin

By FJC

On December 20, the Kremlin Palace hosted the award ceremony for the annual Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia “Man of the Year” 5769.

The FJC Russia established the “Man of the Year” award in 2002 to recognize people who have made significant contributions to the development of the cultural and social life of the country, regardless of their nationality and religion.

Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar gave the opening speech, reminding the audience that the award ceremony coincides with Chanukah. “Despite the fact that Chanukah is coming to an end, its light will be felt everywhere,” stated Rabbi Lazar.

The awards are granted in 11 categories, with all winners receiving a “Fiddler on the Roof” statuette by Israeli sculptor Frank Meisler, created especially for this ceremony. The MCs of this year’s ceremony were Andrei and Ivan Urgant.

In the category of “Community Life,” the award went to Igor Melzer, chairman of the Jewish community of Irkutsk, for his active participation in the construction of the synagogue in Irkutsk.

Boris Altshuler, the head of the NGO “Rights of the Child” received the “Public service” award for his many years of human rights and humanitarian aid aimed at helping children.

The award in the “Government Representative” category went to Major-General Alexander Protopopov, head of the federal penitentiary system in the Arkhangelsk Region, for assistance in organizing the first synagogue in a Russian prison.

In the “Television” category, the award went to the CEO of TV AB-TV, producer Yakov Kaller for the film “Kiselev’s List.”

For “Publications,” Rabbi Alexander Feigin received the award for the translation of Rashi’s commentary on the Torah from Hebrew into Russian.

The award in the “Journalism” category went to journalist Matvey Ganapolsky for his series in the Lechaim Magazine. Theatrical director Dmitry Krymov received the award in the “Cultural Event of the Year” category for the play “Opus number 7. Lineage. Opus number 8. Shostakovich.”

The award in the “Patron” category went to S. Petersburg businessman Mikhail Mirilashvili for participating in the development of the Jewish educational system in Russia.

The Bravery Award was presented to Aron Bielski, a partisan, for his outstanding contribution to the victory over Nazi Germany. In the Film category, actor George McKay received the award for his portrayal of Jewish partisan Aron Bielski in the feature film “Defiance.”

For his unique role in the development of the Jewish human rights movement in the USSR, the “Man of the Year 5769” award was presented to Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky, a “Living Legend.”

Aron Bielski and Sharansky each received a standing ovation. Bielski expressed his gratitude to the FJC Russia and also thanked the Russian people, through which his family was saved from destruction.

In his speech, Sharansky noted that there were many leaders in the room and a lot of fighters. Among them, he specifically singled out Lev Leviev, emphasizing that he has “in both good and difficult times helped Jewish education worldwide.”

He also mentioned Lyudmila Alekseeva, the head of the human rights chapter of the Moscow Helsinki Group.

Sharansky promised that, as head of the Jewish Agency, he will do everything in his power to strengthen ties with Jewish communities and to ensure that the Jews of Russia will be proud of a strong Israel, and that Israelis may likewise be proud of a thriving Jewish community in Russia.

Following the presentation of the awards, participants enjoyed a concert featuring performances by internationally famous Jewish singers Dudu Fisher (Israel) and Avraham Fried (USA).