Pinchas Goldschmidt, the former chief rabbi of Moscow, who fled to Israel this year due to the sensitive situation in Russia, warned that the Jews in the country must flee before it is too late.
"When we look back at Russian history, every time the political system was in danger you saw the government trying to direct the anger and dissatisfaction of the masses towards the Jewish community," said Rabbi Goldschmidt in an interview with The Guardian.
"We saw it during the time of the Tsar and at the end of the Stalinist regime," he explained.
"If they make a movie about my departure, they will present it as if we left in the dead of night."
Rabbi Goldschmidt, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
"We see anti-Semitism rising as Russia returns to a new kind of Soviet Union, and step by step the Iron Curtain is coming down again. That's why I believe the best option for Russian Jews is to leave," he added.
Since the beginning of Russia's war in Ukraine, there has been a serious fear in the Jewish community of an increase in anti-Semitic incidents in the country, and a large number of Jews have chosen to immigrate to Israel as a result.
Also, since the start of the fighting, the Russian VK network has been leading anti-Semitism on social media.
A truck with humanitarian equipment arrived at the Kherson synagogue // Credit: The Jewish Federation of Ukraine
Rabbi Goldschmidt estimated in an interview that about 30 percent of Jews in Russia are now considering leaving, but the economic situation makes it difficult to purchase tickets.
In conclusion, he describes the damage to Russian society that will be created after the departure of the Jews: "There is a part of Russian society that is the creative class of people of culture, intellectuals and artists, and I think it is safe to say that a large percentage of these people have left Russia, something that will harm Russian society."
In an interview with Israel Hayom, he describes his and his family's arrival in Israel: "We arrived at the Moscow airport, each of us holding one suitcase in hand - and that was it. At the port, the police stopped us and asked why we were leaving. I explained to them that my father was hospitalized in Israel , and that I want to visit him. After a short investigation, we flew to Budapest via Istanbul, and since then we have not returned to Russia. If they ever make a movie about the departure, they will present it as if we left in the dead of night. But the truth is that we left in the middle of the day. Less colorful, I know."
were we wrong
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us
