Rabbi Goldschmidt Must Be Backed By FJC And Lazar To Enter Russia

Interfax reports on the "reason" behing the banning of Berel Lazar's rabbinic rival, Moscow's Chief Rabbi Pinkhas Goldschmidt, from Russia by the Putin government:

Moscow, September 28, Interfax - The Russian Foreign Ministry is investigating the motives behind a decision to cancel an entry-visa issued to Moscow Choral Synagogue Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, ministry spokesman Mikhail Troyansky told Interfax on Wednesday.

"At the moment, we are investigating the circumstances surrounding the annulment of Rabbi Goldschmidt's visa", Troyansky said.

A Moscow source told Interfax that Russia recently adopted new visa regulations for foreign clergymen.

The new rules allow clergymen from abroad to come to Russia for religious activities only at the invitation of an officially registered centralized religious organization, he said.

The source said that Goldschmidt is reported to have been invited to Russia by a business group.

Sources in Moscow told Interfax that Goldschmidt, who arrived at Moscow's Domodedovo airport from Israel on September 27, was not allowed to enter Russia and was forced to return to Israel.

Putin only recognizes Chabad and its front group the Federation of Jewish Communities (FJC). That would appear to mean that Rabbi Goldschmidt, Moscow's long-serving Chief Rabbi and a pro-democracy opponent of Putin and Lazar, would only be allowed back into Russia if he is officially invited by Lazar's Chabad-controlled FJC.

Putin is an anti-democratic thug. Lazar and Chabad are his lap dogs. So far, the Jewish media is silent.

UPDATE: Miriam Shaviv has an interesting take on this development here.

Comments

Bull Shit. Fabrications. Allegations. BAlony. Imagination

Those are only some of the words that google used to desribe your article. You just lookin to make trouble. Have fun.

Oh, by the way, next week, us Jews, the observant ones that is, will be observing Our New Year known as Rosh HaShand. So, I'm sorry, whatever posts you make on Tues. and Wednesday might be delayed in response.

[Josh]

Sorry Shmarya,
In Russia their are dozens of Organizations that are recognized by the government.

Do you think reform Rabbis or the JDC officials or those from the Jewish agency come to Russia thru Lazar or the FJC?

You headlines only show your ignorance.

All rabbi Goldschmidt has to do is get a visa by invitation from his own Choral Synagogue or his own Congress of religious communities that is recognized and he will be in Russia.

No more BUISNESS visa for Goldshmidt.

[Herman Douchebag]

I will be nearer to Hashem-riding my bike and improving my body-Hashem has heard your prayers so often-she is riding her bike with me.

[Bartholomew]

Deja Vu? From 2001:

http://www.ncsj.org/AuxPages/022201Moscow.shtml

We want to bring to your attention several alarming developments in Russia to which NCSJ has responded forcefully but not publicly, due to concern for the welfare of individual community leaders and with the expectation that, in this case, quiet diplomacy offers the best first response. These issues, detailed below, will be the subject of a special session at the Plenum of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs in Washington, DC, on Monday, February 26th; Michael McFaul of the Carnegie Endowment will deliver a presentation on events in Russia.

...On February 2nd, Moscow Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, after serving the community for 12 years, was told that his visa would be delayed. Rabbi Goldschmidt, who is associated with KEROOR and the Russian Jewish Congress, is not a citizen of Russia. The same day, tax police and officials from OVIR (the Russian visa bureau) also “visited” KEROOR’s offices in the Moscow Choral Synagogue to examine records.