IT WAS an extremely emotional occasion for Serbian Ambassador Miodrag Isakov and his wife Jelena, hosting a reception at the Daniel Hotel in Herzliya Pituah. After the restoration of Serbian independence last year, this was the first time that they were actually celebrating Serbian Independence Day, which also coincided with Serbian Armed Forces Day. The actual date for both is February 15, in memory of the Serbian uprising in Orasak on February 15, 1804 which put an end to five centuries of Ottoman Empire domination, and the first constitution of the Serbian principality on February 15, 1835.
A journalist and politician, who prior to his appointment was president of the Reform Democratic Party in Vojvodina, Isakov reviewed his country's chequered history until the present day. The first Serbian state, founded well over a 1,000 years ago, evolved into the Serbian Kingdom and Serbian Empire. Modern Serbia became an autonomous principality in 1817, then an independent principality and kingdom in 1878. It subsequently became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and then from 1941 to 1944 was a Nazioccupied puppet state, after which it became a socialist republic within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1992, with the fall of Communism, it became a republic within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and in 2003, a republic within the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.
On June 5, 2006 Serbia proclaimed its independence, and has since been known as the Republic of Serbia. "All our citizens lived in five or six states without ever moving from their villages or their homes," quipped Isakov.
The upside of that, he observed, was that they are all multi-lingual. Looking back on the number of times that Serbia lost its independence and its autonomy, Isakov said: "It doesn't matter how many times you fall, but how many times you get up and go on." What bothered him, he said, when reflecting on his nation's history, was "how the good guys became the bad guys." It was a phenomenon that he had also noticed in Israel. He was especially pleased that Minister Rafi Eitan had been chosen to represent the government, "because he is an old freedom fighter, so we are the same, and unfortunately still fighting the same battle."
Eitan returned the complement by noting the fact that Yugoslavia, of which Serbia was then a part, had supplied Israel with explosives and ammunition during the War of Independence. He recalled that some of the Yugoslavian-born soldiers in his unit in the Palmach went on to become prominent commanders, and instanced David Elazar, who became chief of the General Staff. He also noted that Serbians had always lived harmoniously with the Jews in their midst, and said that Israel and the Jewish People were indebted to the Serbian partisans for their great struggle against the Nazis in World War Two. Today, Israel's relations with Serbia are very important, said Eitan, and Israel is particularly interested in upgrading the economic relations which have great potential.
This week's Serbian reception was very well attended despite the fact that there were diplomats attending a benefit for Schneider Children's Hospital, while others were in the capital at the Jerusalem International Book Fair. Part of the reason for the large turn-out was the Armed Forces Day aspect which attracted military attaches from a large number of embassies. Also among the guests were two former Israel government ministers - Moshe Shahal and Ra'anan Cohen, both coincidentally of Iraqi background.
There was no escaping Serbia's national red, white and blue colors. Miniature Serbian flags decorated the hors d'ouevres, while red, white and blue satin ribbons were tied around the edges of round-white-clothed tables, with the ribbons finishing in festive tricolored bows half-way down the table cloth. On top of the tables were bowls of red, white and blue anemones.
IN ISRAEL for only two months, Sergei Rychenko, second secretary at the Embassy of Belarus, is getting ready to launch his embassy's website, which he promises will have a mine of information about Belarus. Rychenko will be largely responsible for keeping the site updated.
MINISTER COUNSELLOR at the Korean Embassy Won Sup Park, who is also deputy chief of mission, is looking for a summer job for his son who is hoping to become a journalism intern. The young man has spent his high school and college years in the US, where he has perfected his English. According to his parents, he speaks English like an American. When he comes to Israel for the summer, they want him to take on a job where he can learn something - and they figure that the place where he can learn the most at the fastest possible pace is in a newspaper office.
AT THE Business and Women convention organized by the financial daily The Marker as a kick start to the annual Women's Festival in Holon, there was discussion on the glass ceiling: whether it does or doesn't exist and, if it does, whether it is of women's making.
An instance of the latter possibility was presented by Zahavit Yosef Cohen, CEO of Apax Israel. Before joining Apax, Cohen had a long and distinguished executive career at Israel Discount Bank Cohen and her husband, who is a senior executive at Clal Insurance, somehow found sufficient spare time to go off Thailand. El Al fliers on principle, they settled themselves in business class and waited for the stewardess to come by with her trolley, so that they would have something to read. When the stewardess came, she offered all the financial publications to Cohen's husband, then turned to Cohen and offered her LaIsha and other women's publications.
LAWYER TALI Eitan followed her husband to Silicon Valley, but was frustrated and unemployed until the precious Green Card was approved. Her husband's boss Eli Harari was concerned that he might return to Israel
CUPID HAS been busy among the rabbinate. There appears to be a glut of weddings in which the bridegroom is a rabbi. This is definitely the season for rabbinical weddings or at least engagements. Last month, Rabbi Abraham Feder, rabbi emeritus of Jerusalem's main Masorti congregation, married Tzipora Ne'eman.
