This past week, a meeting took place in the Moscow Jewish Community Center between Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar and the Governor of the Arkhangelsk Region, Ilya Mikhalchuk.
During the meeting, Rabbi Lazar noted that Archangelsk, which is a multi-ethnic city in Russia’s extreme north, is home to many Jews.
“The Jewish community organizes holiday celebrations, as well as various cultural events,” commented Rabbi Lazar. “It is also noteworthy that in a number of prisons in the area, prayer rooms have been opened so that Jewish prisoners can also participate in Jewish programming and holiday celebrations.”
However, Rabbi Lazar pointed out that despite a Jewish presence in the region that dates back nearly 200 years, the local Jewish community still does not have their own synagogue. The need for the construction of a synagogue has repeatedly been raised by the leadership of the Jewish community of Arkhangelsk, but the problem is still not resolved.
Governor Mikhalchuk promised to help resolve the issue regarding a building suitable to be used as a synagogue. He ended by praising the Arkhangelsk Jewish community’s charitable work, especially toward the elderly, disabled and poor of the region.
The Jewish community of Arkhangelsk, an Arctic port and once a closed city under the Soviet regime, is a member of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia. This is one of the most northerly Jewish communities in all of Russia, alongside Murmansk.