Georgia-Israel Chamber celebrates Jewish public holiday Hanukkah
For a period of eight days Jewish people in various corners of the world mark Hanukkah, the public holiday which is a symbol of the victory of light over darkness, good over evil. On December 10 the seventh candle of Hanukkah was also lit in the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Tbilisi. The Union of Hebrew Societies of Georgia, Khabad and the Georgia-Israel Business Chamber organized the event.
Itsik Moshe, Chairman of the Georgia-Israel Chamber of Commerce listed eight achievements in Georgia-Israel relations as a symbol of the eight candles of Hanukkah. He said the most eight greatest success stories in the relations between Israel and Georgia are following:
Tourism volume has increased by 500%;
Investment volume has increased by 1,000%;
The Georgian-Jewish relationship has been transformed into a wider relationship between Georgia, the State of Israel and Jews of the world;
Jewish education institutions such a school and kindergartens have been opened in Georgia;
Georgia’s image in Israel has radically changed, with Georgia now well presented in the Israel press;
Representatives of 60 Israeli companies working in East European countries now think that Georgia is one of the best countries for business, due to low indicators of corruption and crime and its liberal taxation system;
Traditional culture links between Israel and Georgia are further developing;
On March 31 a forum on Israel’s investments in Georgia is to be held. The forum will be called “We Build Together”. Israeli investments are expected to amount to USD 800 million by 2010.
The organizers of the Hanukkah celebration noted that usually government officials lit the Hanukkah candles worldwide. In Georgia as well as in the US and Israel the presidents of the respective countries have performed the ritual for the past four years. This year Minister of Economic Development Giorgi Arveladze participated in the ceremony in Tbilisi.
Representatives of local and international Jewish organizations, in particular the World Jewish Agency, the US Jewish Organization and the General Director of European Countries in the World Jewish congress attended the ritual. A 20 member delegation from Israel, Georgian government officials and public figures were also present.
Minister of Economic Development Giorgi Arveladze, Chairman of Georgia-Israel Chamber of Commerce Itsik Moshe and Josef Zissels, Chairman of the General Council Of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress
