Le président Poutine allume la Menorah de la religion orthodoxe

Certains pourraient nous dire que les Papes post-Vatican II en auraient fait autant (Jean-Paul 2 a fait un blasphème inouï en tant que Pape, François étant un imposteur je ne l'inclue pas)

(22 Dec 2000) Russian/Eng/Nat XFA

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday lit a menorah (traditional Jewish candelabra) and congratulated Russia's Jews on the beginning of Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication.

Putin's appearance drew a standing ovation from the several hundred people present at the Marina Roshchya Synagogue's community centre in Moscow. He said that all people of Russia should be able to celebrate holidays in a warm atmosphere.

Celebrations were also attended by former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who arrived in Moscow on a one-day unofficial visit especially to participate in Thursday night's event. He said that there is evidence of a change from the religious persecution of the Soviet era.

During the visit, Putin lit the "shamash" or "servant" candle, which was then used by Rabbi Berl Lazar to light the first of eight other candles. Each day during the festival, another candle is added after sundown.

The festival commemorates a victory by outnumbered Jewish forces over Syrian occupation. Lazar, the head of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, then presented Putin with a menorah.

Members of Russia's Jewish community are happy that now they are allowed to freely celebrate their holidays without fear of persecution after centuries of discrimination. The Soviet authorities unofficially discriminated against people of Jewish heritage in university admissions and employment, and sharply repressed religious practice of all faiths, including Judaism. Things were even worse during the czarist era, Russia restricted where Jews could live, and pogroms, or attacks on Jewish homes, drove many to leave.

Today, Jews occupy an important place in Russian society - in business, politics and the arts. But politicians still occasionally resort to anti-Semitic rhetoric, and two bombs went off near the Marina Roshchya synagogue only last year. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) "I wish happiness and success not only to the Jews of Russia, but to our whole nation.

Let's always celebrate holidays in such a warm atmosphere." SUPER CAPTION: Vladimir Putin, Russian President SOUNDBITE: (English) "Today the President of Russia is coming here to a new Jewish community centre, and he is lighting the first candle of our original holiday Hanukkah.

This is change, big change, positive change, powerful change." SUPER CAPTION: Benjamin Netanyahu, Former Israeli Prime Minister SOUNDBITE: (Russian) "At the table, I just made a toast for being able to celebrate this holiday freely and for not being afraid that something could happen to us walking down the street. Great changes have occurred in our country." SUPER CAPTION: Professor Alexander Goldberg Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: Redirecting... Instagram: instagram.com/APNews/

RUSSIA: JEWISH HANUKKAH CELEBRATIONS