A New Beginning

Israeli president inaugurates Estonian synagogue


TALLINN, Estonia, Sept 19, 2005 (AFP) - Israeli President Moshe Katsav inaugurated the construction of a new synagogue in Tallinn on Monday, the first to be built in the Estonian capital since World War Two.

"I am very grateful to the local Jewish community for building the new synagogue," Katsav told Jewish leaders and schoolchildren at a packed Jewish school hall.

"The synagogue is very important, and I appeal to all of you to continue keeping the Jewish traditions alive here," the Israeli president said, after watching a concert of traditional Jewish songs and dances by the school's students.

Katsav presented a sacred stone to be placed in the foundation of the synagogue.

Jewish synagogues in Estonia were destroyed in World War Two. Currently,only a small makeshift synagogue operates in the school.

Estonia has about 3,000 Jews, down from a pre-war figure of 4,400.

Following a meeting with Estonian President Arnold Ruutel on Monday, Katsav said he was happy there was no anti-Semitism in Estonia, while expressing concern over rising extremism and anti-Semitism in Estonia's neighour Russia.

"I am really concerned over the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and in Russia," Katsav said.

"I hope the Russian authorities will struggle against anti-Semitism by education, by enforcing laws, by influencing public opinion."

Katsav also attended a ceremony of laying a wreath at a monument to Holocaust victims near Tallinn. The 1,000 Jews who remained in the country after the start of World War II perished in the Nazi death camps.


tt/bo/bj