site.btaAmbassador Slavena Gergova Attends Constituent Assembly of Bulgarian Emigrant Community in Beersheba

Bulgarian Ambassador to Israel Slavena Gergova was a special guest at the constituent assembly of the Bulgarian community in Beersheba, Israel. The event took place on January 27, 2025, as reported by the Bulgarian diplomatic mission on its Facebook page.

Also present at the event were Svetlana Stamenova, Head of the Consular Section at the Bulgarian Embassy, as well as members of the largest Bulgarian organization in Israel, "Ehud Olei Bulgaria," including its chairman Ino Yitzhak, David Cohen, former Israeli Ambassador to Bulgaria [1996 to 2000], local community representatives from Beersheba, and and citizens.

Ambassador Gergova expressed her satisfaction with the initiative that officially formalized the existence of an association for Bulgarian immigrants in the region. She highlighted its potential to preserve Bulgarian cultural heritage and maintain the language and traditions within the Bulgarian-Jewish community. 

She also conveyed Bulgaria's solidarity with Israel during these challenging times, expressing hope for the swift release of Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip, the implementation of the phases of the ceasefire agreement for Gaza, the protection of innocent civilian lives, and the commencement of a process aimed at achieving peace.

Dr. Moshe Mossek, a historian with Bulgarian roots, also spoke briefly, recounting the tragic events surrounding the sinking of the ship Salvador in 1940, as one of the most sorrowful moments in the history of Bulgarian Jewish immigration to Israel. Ambassador David Cohen shared with attendees interesting and significant moments from his tenure in Bulgaria and the development of bilateral relations during the late 1990s.