Court hearings into the case of an attack against the head of the Jewish community and a Canadian rabbi and his wife in July 2007 began today. In the summer of 2007 rabbi Zvi Hershcovich came from Montreal to get to know the situation in the Ivanovo community, said Ervin Kirshtein, head of the local Jewish community. The Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia offered him to take the post of spiritual leader in one of three regions, Belgorod, Ivanovo or in Stavropol.

On the first day of the rabbi’s visit to Ivanovo, some youths attacked him and his guests and threatened to kill him. Two attackers were later arrested – as reported HERE on YWN.

In court today the attackers are accused of inciting ethnic and religious hatred.

After the incident, the rabbi chose to take his post in Stavropol.

(Source: Interfax)