The difficult war going on in Ukraine has put Rabbi Alexander Boruda, the president of the Union of Jewish Communities in Russia, into trouble that he never thought he would get into.
Although Boruda was born in Moscow, his family's origins are from Ukraine, when they found refuge in Russia during World War II.
Boruda has many memories of Ukraine: as a child he used to visit his grandparents who returned to Ukraine during the summer months.
As an adult he was stationed as a soldier in Ukraine.
Now, suddenly, he finds himself accused of being a "war monger" and a supporter of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and his war against Ukraine.
As mentioned, Boruda's name was included in an updated list of "war mongers and bribe takers" published at the end of July by associates of the detained Russian regime dissident, Alexei Navalny.
This is the first time that any Rabbi has been included in this list, which serves as a basis for imposing sanctions on the part of Western governments on parties considered to be supporters of Putin and the war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Rabbis Berel Lazar and Alexander Boruda, archive,
However, Boruda is not the only cleric whose name has been added to the list, including a leader of a Buddhist sect and the deputy mufti of Crimea.
At the same time, Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, the rabbi of Moscow and president of the Conference of European Rabbis, who left Russia in protest against the war in Ukraine and moved to Israel, also attacked Boruda.
Rabbi Goldschmidt claimed that the Jewish community in Russia is being held hostage.
In his first interview with an Israeli media outlet, the 54-year-old Boruda flatly rejects the accusations against him and explains that they have nothing to do with reality and cause him and the Jewish community in Russia a great injustice.
The interview with him was conducted during a short visit to Israel.
"The accusations from Navalny surprised me a lot, they are strange and have nothing to do with the truth," Baroda emphasizes, adding: "The things that Rabbi Goldschmidt said about the Jewish community in Russia and the state of the community were also surprising things. What Goldschmidt said in interviews in Israel is not true."
What is not true in their accusations?
"Look at what I have said since the end of February until now. There is a statement of mine regarding the need for peace, which was published near the beginning of the crisis in Ukraine on the website of the Union of Jewish Communities in Russia. We sent it to all communities. This is our official position. Rabbi Berel Lazar, the chief rabbi of Russia and the Union of Communities, He also published an official call for peace. Also, at the beginning of March I gave an interview to the Russian news agency 'Interfax.' I was asked how I relate to the fact that in recent years the Ukrainians, who supported Hitler in World War II, have become national heroes of Ukraine, naming streets after them and putting up statues of them. I answered that I see it in a very negative way. This is not only my opinion, the former president of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, also said during a visit to Ukraine that the State of Israel does not agree to the fact that murderers of Jews become heroes. Articles were published in newspapers around the world, including the New York Times and other important newspapers, against this phenomenon. This is a fact,that the Ukrainian collaborators caused the Jews no less problems than the Germans themselves."
The damage of the war in Ukraine, photo: Reuters
However, Rabbi Boruda emphasizes: "I am not talking about all of Ukraine and all Ukrainians, peace be upon you. Many Ukrainians have been recognized as followers of the nations of the world, but we also remember the criminals. I emphasized that most Ukrainians do not support the commemoration of these criminals, but there is a considerable number of supporters My words were not related to the current situation between Russia and Ukraine. How did they turn it into words of support for what is happening now? It is not clear to me. I was referring to a problem unrelated to the tragedy we are seeing today. These things were taken out of context and have no justification for what is happening now."
"I only spoke in favor of peace," clarifies Rabbi Boruda and finds it difficult to hide his emotional turmoil in the face of the accusations leveled against him, "This is not just my opinion, but the position of Judaism. We pray for peace three times a day. The Jewish people have suffered so much in history that they understand how much peace It is important. Even in Russia, they understand that the Jewish religion is for peace. Therefore, Navalny's words came as a surprise to me. I think it was a mistake. They wanted to relate to representatives of different religions and were looking for someone Jewish. Navalny is the first to connect with the tradition of the former Soviet Union of making problems for rabbis."
"Goldschmidt provoked anti-Semitism"
With all the criticism of his inclusion in the list of "war mongers" by Navalny and his associates, Rabbi Boruda utters particularly harsh words about Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt's statements since he left Russia.
"What Goldschmidt said is something else. He wants to show everyone that he left Russia because he was pressured. He is not the only rabbi in Russia. There is no other rabbi who says he was pressured and there are many rabbis in Russia, no less important than him. Please, let him say who pressured him. In interviews In his last few days, he kind of came back from these things," he said.
A tough criticism.
Rabbi Goldschmidt, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
He also added: "There are two types of rabbis: those who come to Russia, connect with their community, become part of it and feel responsible for it; and those who come only because they got a work contract and don't care about the community. Goldschmidt looks at the community that stayed in Russia as extremist and unimportant people. He is not He cares for them. He left the community. People in the community were very angry at his behavior. He used the community as a step on the way to a new station in his life. He claims that those who remain in Russia support the war and he is the only one who opposes the war, so he left. This is not true and does not respect the Jews. He looks To the Jews in Russia as a subhuman god. This is his attitude to the place where he stayed for 33 years and to the ordinary Jews in Russia and Moscow. When you look at what he did, what he built, what was inside his community, there are many stories that are inappropriate and do not indicate that he acted in the interest of the Jews in Moscow and Russia and for the good of his community."
What is the current situation of the Jewish community in Russia?
"After February 24, everyone was shocked. I wasn't in Moscow at the time and everyone was waiting for me to figure out what to do. I came back, I talked to everyone and they calmed down. I said there were more difficult times, we should be together, pray more, go to the synagogue more. There are many who traveled to Israel, received citizenship and returned, since immigrating to Israel is a very difficult thing for people who have already settled in their lives in Russia. People took Israeli citizenship because it allows them to reach certain places today, they also feel connected to Israel as Jews, but many returned to Russia.
"The economic situation is difficult, but the community is strong. More people come to community centers and synagogues. They are looking for answers to questions. Every difficult situation strengthens the connection to Judaism. We feel it. I give sermons on Shabbat and more people come to listen. In the past, they talked more about the situation in the world, Today we talk about the Parsha of the week, about Jewish history, to understand what we went through and how we got stronger. We will get through this period as well."
Struggling to regulate the Jewish Agency in Russia.
Prime Minister Lapid, photo: Mark Israel Salem
Is there a strengthening of anti-Semitism?
"What Goldschmidt did causes anti-Semitism - a rabbi who fled Russia and started pouring garbage on the Jewish community, it made a bad impression. However, we are not pressured in any context. The relations between Russia and Israel are good. What happened with the Jewish Agency is very concerning to us, I I hope everything will work out, because it's not a good situation. The agency is a very important element in the relationship between Israel and Russia."
Are the Russians disappointed with the Israeli government's position regarding the conflict between them and Ukraine?
"It does not seem that Israel has entered this conflict that much. The State of Israel is neutral. It is very important that the direct flights between Moscow and Tel Aviv remain. It gives the Jews in Russia the feeling that Israel has not left them, that the relations between Russia and Israel continue and that Israel is open to Jews. It is very important for the community that all Jewish organizations continue to work in Russia. It is not so noticeable that Israel has taken any side, which I think is very good because it creates fewer problems for Jews in Russia."
So how do you explain the problems the agency is having?
"From what I know and I am not involved in the matter, the problems did not start now but probably a year ago. The agency did not implement new procedures and had to pay a fine. Every organization that operates in a certain country must follow the laws of that country. The agency is no exception. The Union of Jewish Communities also practices According to the rules, and if they change, we act accordingly. I hope everything will work out and the agency will arrange the required documents and continue to operate in Russia."
Personally, how do you feel about Russia being at war with the country your family comes from?
"All the people of Israel in the former Soviet Union are a family. I am in contact with rabbis in Ukraine, we are friendly, support each other, help each other, there are no fights between us. One nation. There are no wars between the Jews in Russia and the Jews in Ukraine. We feel sorry for the dead and wounded. We pray Let there be peace and find some sort of compromise. All wars end in negotiations, here too there will be negotiations.
We hope that the parties will reach it as soon as possible, that there will be fewer dead and injured.
The dead Russians and Ukrainians have parents, wives, children.
It's a tragedy.
I hope it ends as soon as possible."
Does Israel have any role in the efforts to end the conflict or did it not have one in the first place?
"In my opinion, it is important to try to achieve peace. Those who can contribute to achieving peace should do so. I think it must have been good that the former Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, went to Russia and tried to mediate between Russia and Ukraine.
In the meantime, we see that he did not succeed.
But everyone who works for peace is doing a great mitzvah."
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