Year In Review
of the Chabad-Lubavitch move
ment launches an umbrella
organization, the Federation of
Jewish Communities of Russia.
The federation, founded by
some 200 delegates from severa
dozen Jewish communities
across Russia, establishes as its
goal the representation of Jews
from "all walks of life in Russia
in all matters."
BRIAN SEIDMAN
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
SEPTEMBER
1999
Jerusalem — The Yad Vashem
Holocaust Memorial breaks
ground for a Hall of Names
that will house millions of pages
of testimony about Shoah vic-
tims.
OCTOBER
DECEMBER
1999
Jerusalem — Former South
African President Nelson
Mandela visits Israel for the first
time. Mandela had canceled
previously scheduled visits to
the Jewish state because of his
criticism of Israeli policies.
Jerusalem — Israel opens a safe-
passage route for Palestinians
between the Gaza Strip and the
West Bank.
New York — The Reform
movement announces the cre-
anon of a new prayer book, to
be published in 2005.
Washington — A number of
countries reach agreements or
issue reports concerning the
compensation of Holocaust s
vivors and their families, inclu
ing France, Germany and
Switzerland.
Vienna — The New York-based
Ronald S. Lauder Foundation
opens Jewish schools in Berlin,
Vienna and Warsaw as part of
its efforts to promote Jewish
education and support the
Jewish revival in Central and
Eastern Europe.
JANUARY 2000
Jerusalem — News emerges
that since 1995, some 400 Jews
have arrived from Cuba with
the assistance of the Jewish
Agency for Israel, a quasi-gov-
ernmental agency responsible
for aliyah, or immigration to
Israel. Cuban dictator Fidel
Castro apparently gave his bless-
ing to the exodus, code-named
"Operation Cigar."
NOVEMBER
Moscow — The Russian branch
9/29
2000
54
Jerusalem — Leading fervend
Orthodox rabbis issue a reli-
gious ruling banning their fol-
lowers from using the Internet
out of concern it could lead to
"sin" and "destruction" and lea
the young astray.
Stockholm — Sweden's prime
minister, Goran Persson, admi
that his country acted wrongly,
during World War II, droppin-
the defense that Sweden was a
neutral nation during the war.
1999
Vatican City — The Vatican
shelves plans to beatify Pope
Pius XII, instead beatifying
Pope John XXII. Some Jewish
groups had protested Pius
XII's proposed beatification
because of his silence during
the Holocaust. Newly discov-
ered documents reveal that
Pius XII told the United States
in 1942 that he believed
reports of German atrocities
against Jews were exaggerated
and he did not think the Allies
would win the war.
1999
Washington — Israel and Syri a
sit down for high-level peace
talks, but Israeli Prime Ministe
Ehud Barak and Syrian Foreigi
Minister Farouk al- Sharaa do
not shake hands for the cam-
eras. The talks later collapse
after the two sides become
deadlocked.
FEBRUARY 2000
Top left.. Demonstrators carry a banner reading "Stop Racism and Xenophobia"
during a demonstration in Vienna, Feb. 3.
Top right: Jorg Haider, Austrian Freedom Party leader.
Center left: Ron Lauder greets children at his new Jewish school in Berlin.
Center right: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, left, Pope John Paul II,
center, and Avner Shalev of Yad Vashem on March 23 in Jerusalem.
Bottom: Jewish students from Tufts University, Medford, Mass.,
listen to their guide during a visit in Jerusalem's Old City Jan. 9.
Vienna — Austria's far-right
Freedom Party, led by Jorg
Haider, forges an agreement to
join the country's government,
in a pact with conservative
People's Party leader Wolfgang,'
Schuessel, despite the United
States' threats to join the
European Union in isolating
Austria. Haider, whose anti-
immigrant platform and past
praise for Nazi employment