Moshe (Mishiko) Mirilashvili was born on November 1, 1942, in Kulashi Georgia. His parents, Gavriel and Tamar Mirilashvili, the owners of a large textile factory in Kulashi, were the most distinguished members of their local Jewish community. The Mirilashvilis utilized their wealth to support the destitute, welcoming needy Jews as family into their home. From an early age, Mishiko and his siblings were imbued with a profound love of humanity and the importance of discreetly giving charity to others, without fanfare.
Moshe Mirilashvili studied in local schools, graduated with honors, and at the age of 18, married Dodo Botarshvili, the daughter of the acclaimed doctor, Ilya, and his wife, Hannah Botarshvili. His father, Gavriel, passed away when Mishiko, the eldest, was only 18. The young orphan thus undertook the burden of assuming his father’s business to support the family. Demonstrating remarkable wisdom, talent, and business acumen, he successfully took over the factory and within a short time was managing it superbly. At the same time, he graduated from the Georgia Technical University Faculty of Textile and began working as the chief engineer in the factory. In 1960, with the merging of the two textile plants in the city, the factory became one of the largest in the country, employing some 1,000 workers.
In the 1990s, Mirilashvili and his family moved to St. Petersburg, where he expanded his business dealings. During this period, Mirilashvili also deepened his connection with the Jewish People and State of Israel, and learned about the significance of aliyah, which inspired the family’s relocation to Israel.
In January 2003, Moshe Mirilashvili founded the World Jewish Congress of Georgian Jewry. He was elected to serve as its president, a position that he maintained until his passing, and contributed generously to the Jewish communities in Georgia. Throughout his life, he was constantly engaged in acts of kindness and charity in the public and private realms.
Moshe Mirilashvili passed away on April 10, 2009 and was buried in the New Cemetery in Lod, alongside his spiritual guide and dear friend, Chacham Rephael Elashvili, zt”l, the former Chief Rabbi of Georgia. His sudden death was deeply mourned by Georgian Jewry worldwide.
