The Israeli embassy, which arranged the delegation’s visit, did not forget to order kosher food from Chabad shliach Rabbi Yom Tov Yehuda Kubalkin. Rabbi Kubalkin provided mehadrin food from the community’s kosher kitchen, sending it to the hotel where the delegation was staying.
Minister Mergui paid a visit to the local Jewish community, starting with the office of community leader David Ben Nani, with other Rabbis from around the country. He then went on to the Beis Rochel-Chabad Lubavitch Jewish Center for an official reception for the members of the delegation. Present were various leading community figures. There was a tour of the various parts of the building, including the shul, the kindergarten, and the mikveh. The delegation also met with the members of the community. Minister Mergui spoke in support of the shluchim and encouraged their amazing work. The minister praised Chabad and how the Rebbe sent his shluchim around the globe to do his work and maintain Jewish life in far places, in spite of the skepticism of other parts of the Jewish world.
Chief Rabbi Yeshayah Elazar Cohen also addressed the crowd, praising the delegation for visiting. He added, “When community representatives come from Israel and show an interest in local Jewry, giving so much time to boost moral support, it shows that there is a mutual guarantee between every Jew, wherever he is.”
Afterwards, Rabbi Cohen also thanked Ambassador Yisrael Mi Ami for his constant cooperation all the way through, from when he first arrived in Kazakhstan 16 years ago. Former Knesset Chairman Dan Tichon, who was also present, added his point of view and emphasized the great importance of the shluchim and their communities around the world to the Jewish presence in Israel.
“There are those who marvel at the significant steps that the State of Israel has made in such a short time. We have become a nation and a culture in just a few years. The answer lies within the Jewish communities in the Diaspora. Throughout all of the years, these communities have maintained the Jewish spark, the customs, the identity. They moved to Israel and all they needed to do was reconnect, just like children coming home.
Rabbi Yom Tov Yehudah Kubalkin also said a few words, connecting current events to the week’s Torah portion. This was also the time to say good bye to Consul Ziv Bileus, who completed his tour of duty in Kazakhstan. Rabbi Kubalkin thanked him for his help during his years in Astana. The consul answered that he did his best to help and that he would never forget his years with the Jews of Kazakhstan. He promised to stay in touch, despite the geographical distance.
The chairman of the Jewish community, David Ben Nani, and businessman Gil Smolinsky, who are great supporters of Chabad of Astana, presented the delegation with a summary of the Jewish Center’s successful activities, emphasizing the impressive cooperation between the Israeli embassy and Chabad. They expressed the hope that this would be mirrored by cooperation and unity between the various streams of Jews in Israel and around the world.
The visit was a source of Jewish pride, among the Israeli delegation, the shluchim, and the Jews of Kazakhstan.
