NEBI DANIEL ASSOCIATION COUNCIL MEETING

1-2 October 2003, London

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Present: Roger Bilboul, Andre Cohen, Robert Farhi, Yves Fedida, Alec Nacamuli.

Apologies: Giusi Barda, Salomon Baruch.

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The meeting heard reports of the recent trip to Alexandria of members seeking access to the Jewish Community Registers for family research. The chairman was obstructive and seems very much ill-disposed towards the Nebi Daniel initiative. He categorically refuses to see the N.D. Council.

Yves reported that no response had been received to date from the Egyptian authorities to the various letters sent by our lawyer (Me Helal), the French Chief Rabbinate and the French Presidency.

The meeting agreed that time had come to approach the relevant Egyptian authorities directly. To make the proposition more attractive, Roger proposed that the Nebi Daniel objectives be included in the concept of a Hall of Memory or "Espace de Memoire" , around the Nebi Daniel synagogue, marking the presence of the Jewish Community, which would enhance Alexandria's historical reputation and attract tourists as has been the case in Spain, Warsaw and Prague.

Yves and Robert presented a financial statement at Sept 29, showing expenses of EUR 5071,56 & receipts of EUR 1813,56.

All Council members are requested to transfer funds to A.I. Nebi Daniel account

The following actions were agreed:

1. Contact local Jewish Museums to learn from their experience and circulate vision of the "Espace de Memoire" via the group address by 15 October (All).

2. Request meeting with the Egyptian ambassador in Paris (Yves through Helal)

3. Contact the Abou Hazirah (Damanhour) leaders in Paris (Yves, Robert).

4. Prepare dossier for de Villepin (French Foreign Minister), keynote speaker at the forthcoming Tel Aviv University dinner (Yves).

5. Prepare dossier for Francois Zimeray MEP, who would summon Egyptian ambassadors to the EU (Yves).

6. Prepare trip to Alexandria ( early Dec or early Jan) with objective to meet

· The Governor of the city,

· The President of Biblioteca Alexandrina,

• The Architectural Preservation Commission
• The Head of the Jewish section at the Mabahess
• The local Jewish community in small groups,

7. Depending on outcome of trip, further courses of action were considered.