The Rabbinical Council of Europe’s board of directors and members of the council gathered in the Jewish community center in Vienna in honor of the invitation from the local Chief Rabbi Arie Folger, and the Rabbi of the Sephardic community Hagaon Rabbi Yitzchak Niazov.

Amongst the attendees were Hagaon Dayan Yisroel Yaakov Lichtenstein, Rosh Beis Din of the Federation of Synagogues. Hagaon Rabbi Yirmiyahu Menachem Kohen Av Beis Din in Paris, Holand’s chief Rabbi Hagaon Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs. Hagaon Rabbi Michael Shmerla  Av Beis Din Strasburg, Hagaon Rabbi Avraham Hazan Av Beis Din In Milano, Hagaon Rabbi Baruch Oberlander Av Beis Din In Budapest , Hagaon Rabbi Avraham David Sephardic Av Beis Din in London, Rabbi Hagaon Yakov David Schmahl in Antwerp Hagaon Rabbi Pinchas Padwa former Av Beis Din in Zurich and Amsterdam, Hagaon Rabbi Chai Amram from the  leading Rabbis in Marcelles, Hagaon Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Raskin,  Dayan of the Lubavitch community in London, U.K. , Hagaon  Rabbi Yitzchak Rubin from the leading Manchester Rabbis and many more.

Gracious hostesses were Hagaon Rabbi Arie Folger, Members of the Austrian Beis Din, Hagaon Rabbi Yosef Pardess, Hagaon Rabbi Yitzchak Niazov, Hagaon Rabbi Yaakov Hotoveli, Vienna Rabbis Rabbi Dov Gruzman, Shaya Boas and Moshe Yisraelov.

The many participants heard an overview of RCE activities from the past year presented by RCE’s Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Director General Rabbi Arie Goldberg, Deputy Director General Rabbi Yosef Bainhaker and Secretary of the Council Rabbi Abba Torezky.

The conference began with RCE chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin describing numerous operations functioned by the RCE staff as 64 mikvas were constructed in Europe with the assistance of RCE, Dozens of mikvas were inspected and refurbished at need, tens of Jewish clarifications were checked, thousands of children were exposed to Judaism through educational kits from the Morasha Division , Many factories from 30  European countries were inspected and received the kosher supervision of the EK Meahdrin Kashrus, led by Rabbi Yosef Minsky and much more. Rabbi Margolin expounded on the challenges that face the Rabbis and their communities and emphasized the significance of “תשועה ברוב יועץ ” where Rabbis discuss their issues in order to reinforce their Rabbinical status and Community.

Director-General of RCE Rabbi Arie Goldberg displayed a detailed account of the ongoing activities of the RCE, as in the Seminars and conferences in various fields, training Rabbis in Halachic areas (Chupa, Kiddushin and more), reaching out and giving support to any Rabbi in need of assistance, preventing suggested laws that can be harmful to the Jewish community and investing financial aid to educational projects.

Rabbi Yosef Minsky RCE’s Kashrus division reported how much the division has developed and by virtue of that, it has become much more convenient to locate kosher food with the EK Hechsher.

As the conference went on, the Rabbis conducted a lengthy debate concerning preserving and reinforcing Jewish boundaries, besides how to prevent fictitious Giyur resulting in assimilation.

A special session in Jewish education was held at the conference. The ‘ Morasha’ division of RCE invested many efforts in formulizing exclusive educational kits for European children in elementary school based on the months of the year. Besides this massive project, preparations are at large for the Bar/Bat mitzvah journey RCE implements for the 10th consecutive year. The climax of the journey is the trip to Israel. The journey has great power influencing the Jewish children. The past years have resulted in boys having a Bris Milah, changing names to Jewish ones and keeping Mitzvos.

The members of the rabbinical council thoroughly encouraged the RCE staff, Rabbi Avraham Abba Torezky, Rabbi Yosef Minsky and Rabbi Yosef Bainhaker, who constantly generate, promote and develop the needs of the Jewish communities, initiate inspections and monitor supervising Jewish institutions in Europe, mainly in distant or remote places in order to reinforce and strengthen the position of the local Rabbis.

A festive luncheon was held in honor of the esteemed guests, such as members of the Vienna Beis Din Hagaon Rabbi Yosef Pardess and Hagaon Rabbi Yakov Hotoveli and many Viennese Rabbis. As the luncheon progressed, members of the Rabbinical council thanked the hostesses for all their time and effort invested, enabling the success of the conference.

The Rabbinical Council accepted a list of resolutions; the first one instituting a specialized system where any halachic question will be answered in several languages, fortifying the barriers of Giyur, instituting tens of seminars for Rabbis and encouraging lectures to reinforce the Jewish communities in Europe.