Moshe Boterashvili, a member of the municipal council of Ashdod,has proposed the government to make his city the world center of Georgian Jews. Billionaire Avraam (Abraham) Nanikashvili, a local from Ashdod, approved the idea.
Ashdod has a population of 40,000 Georgians, it has numerous synagogues and a Jewish culture center with Boterashvili in charge. The center organizes evenings of history of Georgian culture, runs a theater, has a dancing ensemble, teaches Georgian language.The Culture House of Georgian Jews will open in May 2012.Ashdod was called the world center of Georgian Jews at a conference of Israeli religious officials in early March. Boterashvili believes that it would help support the Georgian language and traditions.
Peter Lyukimson, exclusively for VK
