Israel’s Deputy Minister of Health, Yaakov Litsman, who was recently in Moscow to attend the World Forum of Health Ministers, paid a visit to the Moscow Jewish Community Center in the Marina Roscha neighborhood.

His tour of the Jewish community began with a visit to the Beit Shvidler Educational Complex. From there he was accompanied by the director of Moscow’s Shaarei Tsedek Chesed organization, Shiya Deutch on a tour of the Rambam Medical Center and the renowned Shaarei Tsedek Charity Center.

The Israeli Minister indicated that he had already made a number of trips to Moscow, but that his last visit was four years ago. On this occasion, he gave a short interview to the Jewish News Agency and commented on the development of the Jewish community under the leadership of Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar. “I am very pleased to note that I have a very positive impression of developments since my last visit. Community institutions have become, as it is customary to say, much more ‘advanced’ and they are now offering community members a much wider range of services, both in spiritual and material terms.”

Mr. Litsman expressed his opinion that the Rambam Medical Center and the Jewish charitable structures are of the highest standards. “It is obvious that the Jewish community, under the leadership of Rabbi Lazar, has been steadily strengthened and has developed,” noted Minister Litsman.

In response to a question about the process of integrating physicians who have immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union, the Minister noted that Israel is currently facing an acute shortage of doctors and nurses, as a result, experts who have managed to prove their credentials and professionalism have found a worthy place in the health care system. He further noted that, nowadays, Russian is heard throughout hospitals and health clinics in Israel.

(Source: FJC)