In a festive event, nineteen new rabbonim received semicha in Moscow after a number of years of limud Torah in Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch in Moscow headed by Rabbi Mendel Goldberg and Rabbi David Rosensweig.

As the end of the Shiva Yemei Tashlumim approached, the Rav of Nachlas Har Chabad and secretary of the Chabad Beis Din in Eretz Yisrael HaGaon HaRav Yuroslovsky arrived and together with the founder of the yeshiva, Chief Rabbi of Russia HaGaon HaRav Berel Lazar, tested the semicha candidates for a number of hours.

Following the testing, the decision was made that all of the candidates passed and would be given semicha as they hoped would be the case. These young rabbonim join tens of rabbonim who have already studied in the program and earned their semicha, today serving as rabbonim throughout the FSU under the Rabbanut. Today, this includes kashrus, mikvaos, verifying one’s Jewishness, keddushin and gittin, and providing Yiddishkheit for many area residents.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)