Moscow, Russia – On January 26, Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar held a meeting with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The event took place on the 65th anniversary of the Soviet Red Army’s liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. The conversation touched on the struggle against revisionism of the history of the Second World War, as well as the construction of the Museum of Jewish History.
President Putin expressed his gratitude to Rabbi Lazar for his consistent opposition to attempts to revise the history of World War II. “I am following very closely what is happening in the world, especially the problems associated with the distortion of history and the denial of the Holocaust. Let me say that, certainly in regard to preserving the memory of the victims of Nazism and in regard to the preservation of information about the genuinely tragic events of World War II, Jewish organizations have always been our staunch ally.”
The President further noted that “we have seen an attempt to rewrite history during the removal of the [“Bronze soldier”] monument in Tallinn, and we are seeing this in other regions of the world, where similar attempts have been made to revise the truth about the tragedy of the Second World War. On this issue, we absolutely agree with you, and I would like to thank you for that.”
The Chief Rabbi spoke after the President and commented, “We, the Jews, will never forget what the Red Army did for us during World War II. We need to speak about how things were in reality because, unfortunately, what we have been seeing as of recent in Ukraine is frightening. For us this is really unacceptable… Those who witnessed and lived through the tragedy of the Holocaust certainly cannot deny it. Nazism is evil, not only because the Nazis murdered, but because they tried to justify their actions.”
Rabbi Lazar also spoke to Prime Minister Putin about the construction of the Museum of Jewish History and Tolerance. “Despite the world financial crisis, the project that – with your support – we had planned has been started. We have very reason to believe that the museum will open in two years, as originally scheduled,” he stated.
The Museum of Jewish History and Tolerance will be a unique educational and exhibition complex, combining exhibitions galleries, a library, a research center, and conference rooms all under one roof. The multi-functional design of the facility will allow the museum to deal effectively with its main task: to use the prism of the history of Jewish civilization to show the necessity of respect and understanding between peoples from different cultures and religions.
(Source: FJC)
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9 Responses
May Hashem grant much stregth and success to this chashuve R. Lazar. He really has a daunting task: serving as a rabbi in a very taxing position, plus being in the lions’ den trying to mollify all kinds of anti-semitic criminal plans from both the Russian population and the gov’t establishment.
Chazak chazak!!!
I’m afraid you are wrong, DaasTorahWtchdg. Rabbi Lazar creates tremendous problems for the Jewish community in the entire former Soviet Union. Due to his efforts the community became divided, not just among Litvaks and Chassids, and amongs the local Rabbis (Such as Adolf Shaevich) and the foreign Rabbis (by usurpation of the title, Chief Rabbi of the Russian Federation Berel Lazar), but the Chabadniks are divided amongst Chabbadniks themselves (such as the case of Darkei Shalom and Rabbi Dovid Karpov, who, unlike Lazar anti-meschianist and did not join Lev Livyev’s FEOR). His politics reached as far as Ukraine, against another anti-meschianist Rabbi Azrael Haikin, who was with the efforts of (once again, drumbeat…)Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Moishe Azman, affiliated with Lev Livyev.
Truly, the Jewish politics of Russia and the former Soviet Union, especially in Chabad are full of oligarchy, corruption and internal chilul-Hashem infighting that not just presents the Jews in bad light, but also endangering the existing local Jewry by raising levels anti-semitism, and political and cultural detestment of non-Jewish masses.
To # 2 – sageres: I am really uninformed about the whole situation there. I was just innocently extending my well-wishes to someone I assumed is serving the community at large in a good way. But if what you’re saying is true, then may he be blessed with a speedy one-way flight back to Crown Heights, and take up his new position as a layman member at 770, without ever attaining any public position anywhere again.
I want to say something that, I have to preface, I don’t want to offend the very chasuva Kehilla/ Chassidut of Chabad. But, they should know, that it’s a great pity that, with this insane “mashichist” disease of the brain, they have brought disdain and shame onto their venerated chassidut, instead of the heaps of credit and admiration they deserve for their unmatched work in bringing yiddishkeit to all far-flung souls from all far-flung spots in the world. I am by no means a chabbadnik; I am from a ltvish school. But I cnnot help but be in awe of this phenomenal group, and their mesirut nefesh toward evrything in yiddishkeit that goes “beyond any call of duty”. They are in the fore-front of “doing for the rbsh”o and his children”. The Lubavitcher Rebbe ztvk”l was the architect and builder of this enormous undertaking, besides being so great on his own that it defies description. My rebbe, Harav Avigdor Miller ztvk”l, also a born and bred litvak, spoke with the highest regard about him. So it’s really a shame that this “mashichist” lunacy has robbed ordinary yiden from benefitting from the enormous amount of good this great kehillsa has to offer.
Sageres
Although all is not rosy in the hood, you are so confused with the details that the picture you painted is far from true.
I do business in Ukraine, I actually just got back from there and I have dealings with most of the above mentioned people.
This is all motzie shem rah. Why dont you better, blog about something you actually know the facts about?
Yochi,
I know about this matter because I am Ukrainian and keep in touch with local religious politics heavily intertwined into the Russian / Ukrainian political spectrum. Not everything is rosy under the hood, it is true, and the sooner we face these facts and realize the wolf is a wolf even in the sheep’s clothing — the better we will be.
And in regards to accusing me of Motzie Shem Ra… There is not a single thing in here that I do not know, and everything I mentioned is known by entire Jewish community of Russia and Ukraine. I know these people. I grew up with them and I feel them and their pain. After all, there is a good reason why Kremlin chose an official chief Rabbi. So next time you are in Ukraine or Russia — go talk to ordinary people.
When mentioning those wronged by Lazar please don’t forget Rabbi Pinchos Goldshmidt who was sent to Russia by the Gedolim in Eretz Yisroel and almost deported at one point.
To Sageres: You are a Ba’al loshon hora with your ranting and hateful comments so I am not going to waste my time responding to them. However, I will say that if it is anyone who deserves to be the chief rabbi of Russia it is Rabbi Lazar. He is continuing the work of the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, z’tl, who tirelessly helped the yidden during communist Russia with great mesirus nefesh even though other gedolim of the time left for other countries. He built yeshivos, chedarim, and mikvaot so the yidden could continue to learn and do mitzvos although in secrecy. He accomplished all these things even after being imprisoned and tortured by the Russians (may their names be erased).
That said, to R. Lazar: may Hashem continue to bless you with much success in your holy work to save Jews.
Say what Michal? You don’t know what you are talking about. Berel Lazar came to Russia in the early 90s (He was 26 or so at that time), did a very brief stint in Leningrad then became a rabbi of the Marina Roscha shul. At no time was he imprisoned or tortured. That’s simply a lie. He came at the _convinient_ time, that did not require any of these sacrifices, since 1990 was already concidred time of open religious life. Noone by that time practiced yiddishkind in secrecy. As a matter of fact, most of the work for the Jewish world was done by the Rabbinate of the Moscow Choral Synagogue (a mixed Litvishe / Chasidishe establishment) that was (and still is) headed by the Chief Rabbi of Russia Adolf Shaevich. When Lazar came here in 1990, all the institutions were already here, and the Jewish life was on the fast track to revival. He did nothing but bring the Chabad into the fold, then a few years later kicked the local rabbinate and by the help of the Lev Livyev and Roman Abramovich, managed to court the right people in the government that now harass, dismiss and deny the legidimacy of non-FEOR organizations (which includes Chabad non-meschianist rabbis) and the locals.
And I would like to emphasize again: At no time has Berel Lazar ever been imprisoned, much less tortured in Russia. You are either tremendously misinformed or diluting the truth on purpose.