Former Chief Rabbi of Moscow HaRav Pinchas Goldschmidt was declared as a “foreign agent” by the Russian Justice Ministry over the weekend. A statement released by the ministry states that HaRav Goldschmidt spread “false information about the decisions made by public authorities of the Russian Federation and their policies,” and expressed opposition about the “special military operation” in Ukraine. HaRav Goldschmidt, who served as Chief Rabbi of Moscow for 33 years, left Russia over a year ago after refusing to express support for the invasion of Ukraine. In response to his new “status,” HaRav Goldschmidt, who now lives in Israel, said, “I’m proud to be on the right side of history and to join the list of people opposing this terrible war that has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands. For 30 years, I nurtured and protected Moscow’s Jewish community, and no decision will prevent me from continuing to do so.” “Russia has turned for the worse,” he added. “This is the first time since the beginning of the war that a religious leader has been declared a foreign agent and defined by the Russian government as a hostile threat.” “It’s very likely that this will mean the start of a new antisemitic campaign against the Jewish community in Russia. I’ve previously called on the local Jewish community to leave the country before it’s too late.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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