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Moscow’s chief rabbi leaves Russia amid pressure to back war in Ukraine
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(Reuters) – Moscow’s chief rabbi has left Russia after coming under pressure to support its invasion of Ukraine, according to a relative.
(Reuters) – Moscow’s chief rabbi has left Russia after coming under pressure to support its invasion of Ukraine, according to a relative.
Swiss-born Pinchas Goldschmidt had served as Moscow’s chief rabbi since 1993, while also heading a large European rabbinical group.
“Can finally share that my in-laws, Moscow Chief Rabbi @PinchasRabbi @Rebbetzin Dara Goldschmidt, have been put under pressure by authorities to support the ‘special operation’ in Ukraine – and refused,” Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt tweeted on Tuesday.
Chizhik-Goldschmidt, a New York-based journalist, said that Goldschmidt flew to Hungary two weeks after the Feb. 24 invasion, raising money for refugees in Eastern Europe before continuing on to Israel.
Jewish organisations in Russia have struck a more critical tone on the war in Ukraine than other religious groups, including the powerful Orthodox Church which has backed the campaign.
On March 2, Russia’s chief rabbi Berel Lazar called for participants in the conflict to “silence the guns and to stop the bombs”, although he stopped short of condemning President Vladimir Putin.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
A refugee is a person who has been forced to flee their country due to persecution, war, or violence, seeking safety and protection in another country.
Jewish organizations often advocate for peace and humanitarian efforts, providing support to affected communities and promoting dialogue during conflicts.
The Orthodox Church is a Christian denomination characterized by its adherence to traditional beliefs and practices, often emphasizing the continuity of the faith as practiced since the early church.
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