Tribute to David Harris, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, in Sofia

The German Ambassador to Bulgaria addressed the urgency of counteracting hate speech and paid tribute to the work of David Harris.

David Harris bid farewell to his colleagues and friends in Bulgaria as longstanding CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) during a special programme.

During the event, guests had the opportunity to address questions to David Harris.

David Harris gave a special address to the guests, among whom were high-ranking representatives from politics, media, business, NGOs as well as members of the Jewish community in Bulgaria.

During the special programme, US Ambassador Herro Mustafa also paid tribute to David Harris and praised his efforts to promote religious tolerance and human rights.

David Harris gave a special address to the guests, among whom were high-ranking representatives from politics, media, business, NGOs as well as members of the Jewish community in Bulgaria. In his farewell speech, he spoke about current issues such as the Russian war in Ukraine, the fragile political situation in Bulgaria, the political, economic, and social challenges inside and outside the EU, and the spread of hate speech and fake news.

The German Ambassador to Bulgaria, Christoph Eichhorn, also addressed the urgency of counteracting hate speech and paid tribute to the work of David Harris: "Anti-Semitism and hate speech hit us all. They threaten our personal rights. They threaten our freedom. We all have the responsibility to act: politicians, business and religious leaders, platform operators, media, and all of us as citizens. Modern Germany is aware of the horror caused by our ancestors. Modern Germany stands up for fundamental human rights and values, strongly grounded in the transatlantic family - together with Israel, the United States, and many others. And together with Bulgaria - Thank God!"

During the special programme, US Ambassador Herro Mustafa also paid tribute to David Harris and praised his efforts to promote religious tolerance and human rights.

Victor Melamed, Director of AJC Sofia, highlighted in his address the many honours David Harris has received over the years for his dedicated and visionary leadership, among them from many governments: "I have known our guest for 25 years and can rightly say that he is one of Bulgaria's best friends, working tirelessly to ensure that the world knows and remembers the story of the rescue of Bulgarian Jews during WWII."

The chairman of "Shalom", Prof. Alek Oscar, proudly gifted David Harris with a silver commemorative coin in memory of the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews and a handmade kippah.

Photos by ©Tzvety Friedman