400 Jews gather for learning festival in Moldova

Young Jews come together in Chisinau for first-ever Limmud FSU conference. Participants meet Moldova's prime minister

Reuters | Published: 06.19.12, 08:54

Over 400 young Jews from Moldova and the southern region of Ukraine came together in the city of Chisinau for the first Limmud FSU (former Soviet Union) Conference in Moldova last week.

Limmud FSU is a festival of Jewish learning featuring a packed program of lectures, workshops, round-table discussions, music and a wide-range of cultural events.

From Left: Matthew Bronfman, Vlad Filat, Chairman of the Moldovan Jewish community, Alexander Bilinkis (Photo: Niv Shimshoni) (צילום: ניב שמשוני)

The conference included over 40 lectures, presentations, cultural performances, workshops, excursions and round-table discussions.

The participants met the Prime Minister of Moldova, Vlad Filat.

Participants at the Limmud FSU Conference in Chisinau (Photo: Niv Shimshoni) (צילום: ניב שמשוני)

"I’m happy and proud that the government of Moldova decided to be part of Limmud FSU, a worldwide phenomenon," said Prime Minister Filat in the opening ceremony of the conference. "I consider this conference as the beginning of a substantial relationship between Moldova, Israel and the Jewish people."

"There are more than 22,000 Jews who live in Moldova, with about 15,000 Jews concentrated in the capital," said Chaim Chesler, founder of Limmud FSU.