By Susan Jacobs
Associate Editor
Sixteen years after he moved to the former Soviet Union with his family, Rabbi Berel Lazar is now chief rabbi of Russia. He was among a small group of Lubavitch rabbis who moved to the Soviet republics as Communism was loosening its grip, and he has stayed to see a renaissance in Jewish life.
But recently Lazar, who was in Pittsburgh last week to visit relatives, has come under fire for criticizing the Reform movement. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported earlier this year that Lazar, who grew up in Milan, Italy, and was ordained in New York, wrote in a Russian language Lubavitch publication that Reform Judaism is not based on the Torah and that its leaders are not rabbis.
"I wasn't critical of the Reform movement," he said. "I was critical of people trying to divide the community. It's unproductive, especially in Russia."
Lazar said he took issue with a female rabbi's decision to officiate at Russia's first homosexual commitment ceremony, a union of two women.
"This is something that outrages the community," he said. "It's a very traditional community."
Although he disagrees with the principles of Reform Judaism, Lazar said he is willing to work with Jewish leaders of any stripe.
"We are ready to work with the people," he said. "We are not ready to accept them as religious leaders. They are doing things unacceptable in Russian society today."
Lubavitch emissaries far outnumber Reform leaders in the former Soviet Union. There are approximately 300 Lubavitch rabbis there, according to Lazar, about 150 of whom are in Russia itself. In comparison, the Reform movement has half a dozen rabbis there, according to the JTA. Despite the small rabbinic presence, close to 100 congregations in the former Soviet Union are affiliated with the Reform movement in Russia.
After he visited Russia in the late 1980s to study secretly with refuseniks, the Jewish community in Moscow invited Lazar in 1990 to officiate at the Marina Rostcha Synagogue.
In the early years of his service, as the Communist regime crumbled, Lazar focused on preparing Russian Jews to move to Israel.
"Most educated Jews left as soon as the doors opened," he said. "We were sort of the Israeli embassy - the last chance to find out what Israel is about."
The waves of emigration lasted from 1989 to 1994, with thousands of Jews leaving for Israel, the United States and Germany. The people who stayed behind were those who could not leave because of family or work obligations and those who were most assimilated.
"They didn't see themselves as Jews even," said Lazar. "They were more Russian than Jewish."
Since then, Lazar has worked to help them reconnect with their heritage.
"There has been a great renaissance, a great return to a Jewish way of life," he said. Most of the Jews who live in the former Soviet Union now plan to stay there, said Lazar. In fact, close to 100,000 Jews who moved to Israel have returned to their birthplace, usually for financial reasons.
"They feel very much at home," he said.
A network of Lubavitch schools and Jewish community centers offers many opportunities to learn about their heritage.
"We hope this new generation growing up is going to live a full Jewish life," Lazar said.
(Susan Jacobs can be reached at sjacobs@pittchron.com.)
Associate Editor
Sixteen years after he moved to the former Soviet Union with his family, Rabbi Berel Lazar is now chief rabbi of Russia. He was among a small group of Lubavitch rabbis who moved to the Soviet republics as Communism was loosening its grip, and he has stayed to see a renaissance in Jewish life.
But recently Lazar, who was in Pittsburgh last week to visit relatives, has come under fire for criticizing the Reform movement. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported earlier this year that Lazar, who grew up in Milan, Italy, and was ordained in New York, wrote in a Russian language Lubavitch publication that Reform Judaism is not based on the Torah and that its leaders are not rabbis.
"I wasn't critical of the Reform movement," he said. "I was critical of people trying to divide the community. It's unproductive, especially in Russia."
Lazar said he took issue with a female rabbi's decision to officiate at Russia's first homosexual commitment ceremony, a union of two women.
"This is something that outrages the community," he said. "It's a very traditional community."
Although he disagrees with the principles of Reform Judaism, Lazar said he is willing to work with Jewish leaders of any stripe.
"We are ready to work with the people," he said. "We are not ready to accept them as religious leaders. They are doing things unacceptable in Russian society today."
Lubavitch emissaries far outnumber Reform leaders in the former Soviet Union. There are approximately 300 Lubavitch rabbis there, according to Lazar, about 150 of whom are in Russia itself. In comparison, the Reform movement has half a dozen rabbis there, according to the JTA. Despite the small rabbinic presence, close to 100 congregations in the former Soviet Union are affiliated with the Reform movement in Russia.
After he visited Russia in the late 1980s to study secretly with refuseniks, the Jewish community in Moscow invited Lazar in 1990 to officiate at the Marina Rostcha Synagogue.
In the early years of his service, as the Communist regime crumbled, Lazar focused on preparing Russian Jews to move to Israel.
"Most educated Jews left as soon as the doors opened," he said. "We were sort of the Israeli embassy - the last chance to find out what Israel is about."
The waves of emigration lasted from 1989 to 1994, with thousands of Jews leaving for Israel, the United States and Germany. The people who stayed behind were those who could not leave because of family or work obligations and those who were most assimilated.
"They didn't see themselves as Jews even," said Lazar. "They were more Russian than Jewish."
Since then, Lazar has worked to help them reconnect with their heritage.
"There has been a great renaissance, a great return to a Jewish way of life," he said. Most of the Jews who live in the former Soviet Union now plan to stay there, said Lazar. In fact, close to 100,000 Jews who moved to Israel have returned to their birthplace, usually for financial reasons.
"They feel very much at home," he said.
A network of Lubavitch schools and Jewish community centers offers many opportunities to learn about their heritage.
"We hope this new generation growing up is going to live a full Jewish life," Lazar said.
(Susan Jacobs can be reached at sjacobs@pittchron.com.)
No comments:
Post a Comment