Russia. The monument in black marble commemorating the mass extermination of Jews during the World War II was built on the eve of the Catastrophe Day in Birobidjan. The initiator of a monument creating was the cultural educational center of the "Freud" Birobidjan religious community.

Russia. Moscow police officers detained three racketeers who wrung three million dollars out of the head of the Israeli company "Nikomed". The victim - a 41- year old Israeli - stated the racketeers had been blackmailing him for three years. One of the detainees is a resident of Komi and two others are Chechens. Criminal proceedings were instituted against these people.

Russia. The concerts of the Terezin memorial project "A Band of New Music" took place in the Jewish cultural center and Rakhmaninov hall of the Moscow Conservatory. The audience heard the music of composers from Terezin- a transit camp 140 thousands Jews had passed through. Hans and Pavel Haases, Ziegmund Shul, Egon Ledech, Robert Dauber, Viktor Ulman - they all died in Nazi death camps. The director of "A Band of New Music", an Israeli professor and pianist David Blokh said only 70 compositions written in Terezin are preserved.

Russia. Since the beginning of 2002 40 people have returned to Birobidjan from Israel for permanent residence. During the same period in 2001 only 12 people returned.

According to the head of the passport-visa service of JAR DIA Tatiana Belova, not only the events in the Near East influenced on the decision of immigrants. This was also caused by an improved social economic situation in JAR.

Georgia. On April 9 participants of the meeting of Georgian intellectuals with the leaders of Jewish community at the Tbilisi State University learned about a creation of the Georgia-Israel Friendship Society. An academician, rector of TSU Roin Metreveli became its President. The post of Vice-President went to writer Guran Batiashvili - the chief editor of "Menora" Jewish newspaper published in Georgian.

The participants of the meeting approved their common statement in which they supported the struggle of Israel against terrorism.

Russia. Jewish organizations of Russia have decided to create a Committee of Solidarity with People of Israel and approved addresses to the Prime-Minister Ariel Sharon, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and President of Russia Vladimir Putin.

Natan Meron greeted the idea to create the Committee of Solidarity with People of Israel. He underlined that the Russian community, being on the way to normalization, successfully uses the experience of other countries, particularly the USA and Great Britain, where such organizations already exist.