BARCELONA (JTA) – Jewish leaders from across Europe pledged to cooperate in promoting a series of key core values including transparency, openness and solidarity with other Jews.
Presidents of pan-European organizations as well as the presidents of Jewish communities and other organizations from Spain to Turkey made their pledge Friday in a declaration signed on the first day of a three-day conference organized by the European Council of Jewish Communities and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
Called the Conference of Presidents, the meeting gathered leaders of Jewish communities and organizations in more than 20 countries and signaled a rebirth the the ECJC as an organization promoting Jewish cultural and educational initiatives.
Signatories to the Barcelona Declaration pledged to promote the “core values” of “solidarity among Jewish organizations and communities; responsibility; democracy; transparency, mutual respect and acceptance.”
They also pledged to strengthen networking and cooperation among Jewish organizations and communities in Europe with the goal of promoting cooperation and bolstering an exchange of information, communication and coordination.
They pledged as well to “promote an engaged and committed European citizenship and strengthen European Union.”
Besides local and national communal leaders, signatories including the presidents of the ECJC, the European Jewish Congress, the European Union of Students, the European Association of Jewish Community Centers, the European Maccabi Conference, European Masorti and Progressive Judaism organizations, B’nai B’rith Europe, and the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Heritage.
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