Honoring Ze’ev Elkin for his contribution to Israeli-Ukraine relations
In the middle of the 1990s, the founders of the International Solomon University asked me, a young Kharkiv businessman, to help open a branch of the university in Kharkiv. The initiator of the project was Boris Elkin, a talented professor and scientist, and an amazing person with indomitable energy.
It seems to me that opening such a university was a dream of all Soviet teachers with Jewish roots. Boris Elkin was a man with enough strength, desire and determination to do it.
These qualities have been fully inherited by his son — Ze’ev Elkin. Having repatriated to Israel in 1990,he entered soon made a name for himself in Israeli politics. But his active position and the same indomitable energy as his father did not go unnoticed. At the age of 35 he became an Israeli parliamentarian, at 42 — Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, and two years later, he took up the post of Minister of Immigrant Absorption.
Today, Ze’ev holds the posts of Minister for Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage, as well as Minister of Environmental Protection. For many years, he has also been responsible for the relations between our countries, heading the intergovernmental commission for the development of relations between Ukraine and Israel on the Israeli side.
Through his efforts, these relationships have gotten stronger every year. I was very happy to be able to express the Ukraine Jewish community’s gratitude for his work. During a visit to Jerusalem, a delegation of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine honored Ze’ev Elkin with a special award.
The medal for outstanding contribution to the development of the Jewish community in Ukraine has recently been established by the JCU and we were pleased to award it to a person like Ze’ev, who has contributed so much to our community.
By Boris Lozhkin
Join me, Boris Lozhkin, on Twitter @lozhkin_boris and on Facebook.
Find out more about me and the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine here.
