Yesterday a festive event dedicated to two holidays was held in Acre, a city in northern Israel. In the banquet hall "CRISTAL", the owners of which came from Baku 15 years ago, people from Azerbaijan and their guests gathered for a celebration organized by the International Association "Israel-Azerbaijan" ("Aziz") in association with the City Office of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption.
Opening the ceremony, the coordinator of Caucasian projects at the municipality of Acre, member of the board of "Aziz" Rauf Agalarov, congratulated everyone on the Jewish holiday of Sukkot and conveyed greetings from Minister of Absorbtion Sofa Landwehr and the President of "Aziz", Alex Miller MP. Agalarov also thanked Mayor of Acre Shimon Lancry and Vice Mayor Zezva Neumann for their help in organizing the event, as well as president of the International Charity Fund "STMEGI" Herman Zaharyaeva for his longstanding support.
The Director of the Azerbaijani cultural center of "Aziz", Yegana Salman, congratulated everyone on another important occasion that triggered this event. On October 18 the Azerbaijani people celebrate a national holiday - Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 23 years ago, in 1991, the Act of Independence of Azerbaijan from the USSR was approved. Mrs. Salman reminded what great changes have taken place in the country over the years, how the living conditions of Azerbaijani citizens have changed, as well as Azerbaijan's status in the international arena. Gathered for the feast, and congratulated by First Deputy Mayor of the city of Acre Zeev Neuman, were members of the City Councils of Kiryat Yam and Or Akiva, Margarita Kozáková and Yossi Peysarov, and other distinguished guests.
In the concert program of the evening there were the best singers of the Caucasian community of Israel, many of whom emigrated to Israel from Azerbaijan: Tomer Aliyev, Farid Aloni, Lior Shaphan, Ilgar Mikhailov, accompanied by a musical band and the dance group "Dancing Pearl" run by Pnina Jaskova. A foreign guest, the great Azerbaijani singer and musician Elman Aliyev, performed songs written by Azerbaijani composers and songs from the repertoire of the leading figures of Azerbaijani music.
All guests were presented with a desktop calendar "Famous Jews of Azerbaijan" released by the International Association "Israel-Azerbaijan" with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, discs released in conjunction with the Sholumi Center, which presents songs in the Azerbaijani language by singers of the Mountain Jewish community in Israel and the latest issues of "Baku" magazine in the Russian and English languages.
