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Chief Rabbi of Moscow Says Russian Jewish Community Being Held "Hostage"
(Israel Hayom) Hanan Greenwood - Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, 59, served as chief rabbi of Moscow for over 30 years, until Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He and his wife, Dara, left their home in the Russian capital on March 7, 2022, and came to Jerusalem. "Day by day I'm realizing I did the right thing, for the Jewish community, too. Now I'm in a place where I can help them, and I can talk freely. I'm much calmer now, because it's a relief to talk after not being able to express myself for years. If I were still there, I wouldn't be able to say a word. Now I'm helping refugees." "I reached the realization that today, from every perspective, it's better for Jews not to be in Russia. Today, it's not like it was during the Holocaust, when there was no way to get out. I led the way for many families who decided to make aliyah after I did. The political situation creates questions about the future of the Russian Jewish community, because in many senses Russia is reverting to the days of the Soviet Union." "It's a very real possibility that the Iron Curtain could come down again. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that soon, no more visas would be issued for Western countries....There is danger for Jews, no doubt. The Jewish community is being held hostage in the diplomatic war between Russia and Israel."