Ha'aretz: Moscow's Chief Rabbi To Return This Week

Moscow's non-Chabad chief rabbi Pinkhas Goldschmidt has told Ha'aretz the ban against him has been lifted:

Russia will permit the chief rabbi of Moscow, Pinhas Goldschmidt, to re-enter the country thus lifting a three-month ban.

"With the help of others, I will be able to reunite with members of my family and the community this week and to continue my rabbinical work as I have in the past," Goldschmidt told Haaretz. Over the course of the rabbi's three-month exile, Jewish and international non-government organizations as well as Western diplomats have repeatedly requested Russian authorities enable the rabbi to return to Moscow.

Rabbi Joseph Sitruk, the chief rabbi of France and the president of the Conference of European Rabbis, praised Russia's reversal, adding that he was grateful to all the diplomats and Jewish organizations for their efforts in enabling Goldschmidt's return to Moscow.

Goldschmidt, 42, has served as Moscow's chief rabbi since 1987. This past September, after landing in Moscow's airport, border authorities informed Goldschmidt that his visa was cancelled. Haaretz reported that the move to deny entry was linked to a running feud between Goldschmidt and Vladimir Slutsker, former chief of the Russian Jewish Congress.

Slutsker was unseated last month by millionaire industrialist Vyacheslav Kantor. Goldschmidt was also deported from the country in 2001. However, his supporters succeeded in having the authorities overturn the decision.

Funny how this great 'humanitarian' decision by Putin and his thugs was made public exactly one day after the announcement of Russia's $1 billion dollar arms deal with Iran. And, let us not forget that during this entire three-month ordeal, Chabad's "chief rabbi" of Russia and Putin lap dog Berel Lazar said nothing about Rabbi Goldschmidt's deportation.

Rabbi Goldschmidt's return is a morsel thrown to human rights activists in the West alarmed by Russia's new Stalinism. As always, Chabad is on the wrong side of this issue, supporting Putin and his anti-democracy thugs and his arms deals with rogue states like Iran. When American and British (and Israeli) soldiers die defending the West from Iran's nuclear threat and its state-sponsored terrorism, will our citizens remember Chabad with fondness? Perhaps not. Will they distinguish between Chabad and the rest of Jewry? If history is our guide, probably not. Berel Lazar sews what we will reap, and that harvest promises to be especially bitter.

Comments

[RebbeGod.blogspot.com]

By the grace of G-d
Shalom uBrocha!
There was a chief Chabad emissary in South Africa who loudly protested against the apartheid and got much trouble from the goverment I think to the point that the y wanted to deport him or put him in prison or something like that. The Rebbe-Almighty told him that his primary responsibility is to take care of the many problems within his own Jewish community such as assimilation , drugs etc. which was rampant there at that time and not to get involved into things which can interfeere with it.
Unlike you Lazar doesn't want to throw caution to the wind and do things that should be and are done by others which can place his own mission in Russia in danger.
He has been a very succesfull shaliach mar he go from strenght to strenght in his work serving the Rebbe-Almighty not paying attention to silly blogs such as this one...:-)
Yechi Yehovah Tsidkeinu!

[Shmarya]

Ariel –

The name thing, remember?

[Paul Freedman]

Shmarya--I don't think R. Lazar is in a situation to affect Russian foreign policy or how the State organs permit or do not permit affiliates of ngo's to operate. Israel has state-to-state relations with FSU, to no avail. btw, a small thing, that would be "rogue states like Iran"--you start calling them "rouge states"--that's hitting below the belt.

[Moishe Frenkel]

I think that you have no right to criticize Rabbi Lazar and Chabad of Russia. I am a Russian Jew and a Lubavitcher, living in Moscow. You have no IDEA about the real situation here in Moscow. You do not know how easy it is to make Russian Jews into the hostages of the regime. The only way how to succeed here is to COOPERATe with the government. This is what the Jews always did. This is how they survived in Spain, in France, in Portugal, in Arab countries and in Russia. You think that Russian Jews will benefit if Rabbi Lazar will go against Putin and his FSB/KGB regime? He will be deported like Goldshmidt. Is this the right way? Is not it better to work with the government and to be able to build tens of synagogues, hospitals, old age homes, hundreds of schools, yeshivas, kindergartens. Provide money, help and care for the needy? We must follow the practice of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai - cooperate with the Romans of our time. It is easy to critisize citing in the USA. Pick yourself up, and coem here in Russia, where you can be killed just for looking Jewish - and do something for 1 000 000 Russian Jews. You are biased man, full of irrational hatred. Do Tshuva!

[Chaim Dovid]

Mr Blogster,

With tears I read this openly biased article of yours against Chabad and Rabbi Berel Lazar. Being a native of Russia, studying now in NY by a grant from Lubavitch in Rostov, I konw a heck of a lot more than you are trying decptively convey to your foolish readers, some who may actualy naively believe your slanderous words.

If there is ANY TRUTH or validit to your allegations against Chief Rabbi Lazar and the works of the Chabad Lubavitch network, please do us a favor and PUBLISH THEM! Otherwise, they are pure LIES! & any intelligent human being reading this blog is urged to realize the serious crime of this blogger, his audacity to blasphamiously curse out rightous zadikim.

It is a serious shame that people like you exert their resources for the works of satan! May yo repent speedily in our days as the advent of our rigtous Meshiach is coming very near!

For me personally, as one who lived most of my life on Russia, I know who does what for the Jewis communityy, who contributes not only in the material physical sence, but also gives the Jews a true spiritual rejuvenation and that in no one other than CHABAD!!

[Shmarya]

Read this link.

[Shmarya]

Oh, and by the way, behaving like a mafiaoso and a thug against other frum Jews will not endear Lazar to the messiah you believe in, let alone to the one the rest of us wait for.

[Chaim Dovid]

NOTHING that you directed me to is of any valid EVIDENCE to your allegations against the rabbi. Unlike the way you are trying to falsly indicate that chabad is running any sort mafia, chabad trie s to help EVERY JEW, including Rabbi Goldshmid. Yes, ASK HIM, he will tell you taht if not for the chaba intervenion, he would have much more of a difficult time getting back into moskve. I know this being a native, everyone in moscow knows this.

It is just shocking to see how you rewrite the truth to fit your malicios mission. In fact, you reminding me so much of the kgb, you just switch tings to fit your story.

SHAME!!

[Davidi]

This morning after attending a breakfast party with Rabbi Israel Lau in support of my local Chabad in Long Island, NY I was amazed that you could be writng such things about them. The former Chif rabbi spoke about how they assisted in the return of rabbi goldshmid to russia.

I think you should examine the facts before you post what constitutes lashon hara and rechilus. Besides, our holy bible prohibits us from lying - so for your soul's sake and for our soul's sakes, stop dragging us innocent readers into this gehinom.

Thank you!

[nachos]

"You have no IDEA about the real situation here in Moscow. You do not know how easy it is to make Russian Jews into the hostages of the regime. The only way how to succeed here is to COOPERATe with the government. This is what the Jews always did. This is how they survived in Spain, in France, in Portugal, in Arab countries and in Russia."
"Is not it better to work with the government and to be able to build tens of synagogues, hospitals, old age homes, hundreds of schools, yeshivas, kindergartens."

In response to the above post left by Moishe Frenkel , I could not disagree more. Maybe it's time to try a new startegy like supporting immigration to Israel

[Jath]

the long arm of reb berale lozor ?
promoting pravoslav culture beyond russia ?

http:// www.jta.org/ page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=16088&intcategoryid=2