The European Jewish Congress (EJC) mourns the passing of former Czech Republic president Vaclav Havel. Havel was known as a great friend of the Jews and did much to confront anti-Semitism and teach the lessons of the dark chapter of the Holocaust during his two terms in office.
EJC President Dr. Moshe Kantor, who was a colleague of Havel’s on the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation, said that he will be sadly missed.
“Having personally worked with him, I can attest to the tremendous moral qualities of President Havel,” Kantor said. “He was a figure for a new and modern Europe to emulate. President Havel lived through communism and led the Czech Republic to a new era helping move his countrymen through a troubled past to a more open, free and tolerant future.”
“President Havel was a true and steadfast friend of the Jewish People and will be missed by European Jewry.”
The EJC extends its sympathies to the family of Vaclav Havel and the Czech people.