Victory Day will be a Jewish holiday

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Russian Jews made ​​a patriotic initiative included in the calendar of Jewish holidays Day liberation and salvation , which is celebrated on May 9. If a new holiday will be approved , Jews around the world will soon be thanking God and for the salvation of the Red Army from the Nazi Germany , as well as for education in the State of Israel in 1948 .

The idea to celebrate the Victory Day as a religious Jewish holiday nominated businessman , president of the International Fund of Mountain Jews of Russia Herman Zakharyan . It should be noted that the Mountain Jews - a small but influential group of Jews of Northern and Eastern Caucasus , they include one of the wealthiest businessmen in Russia according to the magazine Forbes, Chairman of the Board of Directors of JSC "Hotel " Ukraine " ," Zarah Iliev and Chairman of the Board of Directors of JSC "Kiev square " Year Nisan .



" We want to make a religious holiday on May 9 - " Happy liberation and salvation , "because with the help of God and thanks to the Red Army, the Jews were free and independent state in 1948 - explained" " Mr. Zakharyan . - Our goal - to save memory future generations to commemorate the victory and what it cost us . "



According to him , the process of inclusion in the list of May 9 Jewish religious holidays launched in late 2013. The first thing the initiative group gained the support of the Jewish religious leaders of Israel . "In February 2014 we received the approval of the former Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel Yisrael Meir Lau, Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, - said Mr. Zakharyan . - At the political level, the initiative was approved by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman , chairman of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein and Deputy Interior Minister Faina Kirshenbaum and several other politicians. "



In Jewish tradition, holidays are divided into two categories. The first group includes the holidays established by the Torah - the Jewish New Year , the Day of Atonement , Passover , Shavuot and Sukkot . The second category of holidays set by the prophets and sages , it includes, for example , Hanukkah and Purim . " The Jews associated with the holiday miracle , with the intervention of God in the life of the Jewish people - explained" " Vice - President of the Congress of Jewish Religious Communities and Organizations of Russia, Rabbi Zinovy ​​Kogan . - For example, Purim reminds us that , as in the IV century BC , at the time of the Persian king Ahasuerus , Esther his wife with her uncle Mordechai exposed king adviser Haman , who wanted to destroy the Jewish people , but the Almighty through Esther saved the Jews . "



According to Rabbi Zinovy ​​Kogan , Jews have no centralized organization that would establish new holidays . "Every Rabbinate decides to make in your new holiday calendar or not ," - said the rabbi .



Last Wednesday in Jerusalem was a series of events dedicated to the establishment of a new holiday : at the Wailing Wall in the hall of the Hasmoneans in the presence of Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel David Lau and representatives from all streams of Judaism the symbolic beginning of the writing of the first Torah scroll dedicated to the holiday. " The Jews have a commandment that every Jew to write a Torah scroll that is play scripture to make your copy of the Torah - told German Zakharyan . - This is done mostly in the memory of some significant event in the life of the community , human . " According to him, all three will be written Torah scroll. "Special scribes write on parchment 80 meters of the text, it is they will have to do throughout the year - the 70th anniversary of Victory" - said Mr. Zakharyan . Second roll started writing in the Knesset ( Israel's parliament ) , and the third - the largest in the house of Rabbi Chaim Torah scholar Kanev .



In Russia, the Jewish religious leaders generally supported the initiative of Mr. Zaharyaeva , however, disagreed , what status should be given on May 9. "We are positive about the proposal to perpetuate May 9 as the Day of memory and gratitude , but it is not a holiday ," - commented "b" Russia's Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar . However, do not agree with the Congress of Jewish Religious Communities and Organizations of Russia ( KEROOR ) . " Good idea to make the Jewish holiday of May 9 - the vice-president KEROOR Zinovy ​​Kogan . - In the victory over fascism has sacredness : Almighty through the Soviet army saved the Jews and helped gain state." According to him, the initiative supported by the majority of Jews and Jewish calendars soon will be introduced a new holiday . " The new holiday will be put on a par with Purim , Hanukkah , because his idea - divine intervention in people's lives , to save Jews from total destruction ," - says Zinovy ​​Kogan .