Why Russian Jews couldn't care less about patronizing Israel:
Russian chief rabbi: Improved conditions discourage immigration to Israel
HERB KEINON
Oct. 3, 2002
MOSCOW Most Russians immigrating to Israel today are non-Jews concerned Jerusalem will soon change the Law of Return and close the doors on them, according to Russian Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar.
The Law of Return gives Jews and their children and grandchildren the right to immigrate along with their immediate families even if they are not Jewish according to halacha. Lazar, one of two chief rabbis in Russia, said that with the Russian economy improving and the government taking a firm stand against anti-Semitism, there is currently less incentive for Jews to emigrate.
Those now expressing interest in immigrating are non-Jews concerned that domestic Israeli pressure will lead to a change in the law, he said. The percentage of immigrants from the CIS who are non-Jews has been estimated at between 50 to 70 percent.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon promised a group of Russian Jewish leaders Monday night during a speech in Moscow that as long as he is prime minister, there will be no change in the law. Paradoxically, the flowering of Jewish life in Moscow and other Russian cities acts as a disincentive for Jews to immigrate to Israel.
Lazar said it is important for Israel and Diaspora communities to support the Jewish community in Russia because it helps develop Jewish identity among the youth, which will nurture a desire in them to immigrate.
Lazar was interviewed in his spacious office located on the top floor of the six-floor, state-of-the-art Chabad Jewish Community Center in Moscow. The center includes a synagogue that can sit 1,400 people, a gym, weight room, cafeteria, theater, and offices. The synagogue boasts a Torah Ark built into a replica of the Western Wall made out of Jerusalem stone that looks strikingly authentic.
The building material used inside the synagogue, including marble imported from Israel, is designed to give the worshipers a feeling of Israel, according to Motti Weissberg, the center's director. "This way, when they go to Israel they will say, 'Remember this type of marble and stone from the synagogue in Moscow.' It will give them a feeling of familiarity " he said.
Lazar had extremely warm words for Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he has helped make it "fashionable" to be a Russian Jew.
According to Lazar, Putin understands that religion is necessary in today's Russia to fill the vacuum created by the fall of Communism, and that "without religion people may return to Communism."
Under Putin, there has been a virtual flourishing of religion in Russia, Lazar said. He said Putin is encouraging the four religions officially recognized by the Russian government: Russian Orthodox, Islam [Huh?! Yeah, just ask the Chechens], Buddhism, and Judaism. The Catholics are having difficulty gaining an official foothold because of competition with Russia's dominant Russian Orthodox Church, he added.
An Israeli diplomatic source in Moscow confirmed Lazar's assessment of Putin, saying his positive words were not simply a result of their ties.
According to sources close to Sharon, the prime minister, during his meeting with Putin on Monday, also praised the Russian president for his unequivocal stance against anti-Semitism, and for allowing for the flourishing of the Jewish community.
"We always asked [former president Boris] Yeltsin to come out strongly against anti-Semitism, but he never did," Lazar said. "Putin comes out with comments about it every month." According to Lazar, Putin believes that if Jews are not treated with respect, other minority groups will also not be treated with respect and it will be disastrous for Russia.
The diplomat stationed in Moscow said Yeltsin's reticence to speak out against anti-Semitism did not stem from an antipathy towards Jews, but rather because at the time he was dealing with too many other pressing problems.
Whatever the reason, said Weissberg, the atmosphere towards Jews is completely different on the street than it was under Yeltsin.
The bearded, black coated, and kippa-clad Weissberg said that in the mid-1990s he would walk in the street and hear anti-Semitic curses. "This doesn't happen anymore," he said. Weissberg said Putin has set a tone of intolerance toward anti-Semitism, and that this has filtered down to the local police officer who now must show no tolerance for anti-Semitic manifestations.
According to Lazar, there are now some 100,000 Jews in Moscow, and at least a million in the former Soviet Union. He said there may be up to 3.5 million Russians who are eligible to immigrate under the Law of Return.
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