On the last day of Chanukah, the “Golden Bukhara” restaurant of Tel-Aviv hosted a meeting of the Unions of World War II Veterans of Israel.

Among those who came to present their congratulations to the veterans were Minister of Repatriation and Absorption Sofa Landver and leaders of the Union of IDF Veterans. This was the 10th time that the celebration took place in “Golden Bukhara.” Mordechai Kimyagarov, the owner of the restaurant and a collector and keeper of Bukharan Jewish culture, Chairman of the Culture Society of Bukharan Jews in Israel, takes good care of this wonderful tradition.

Euro-Asian Jewish Congress Deputy Secretary General Haim Ben Yakov was decorated with the “Person of the Year” award of the World War II Veteran’s Union of Israel for “Merits in preserving the memory of the battle and heroism of Jews in the war against Fascism.”

Ben Yakov was presented with his honorary diploma by Roman Yagel, a living legend who fought against Nazism in the Soviet and Polish armies, and who, after repatriating, worked his way up the ranks all the way to General and commanded the Israel Border Police.