Jewish leaders from Barnaul, the capital of the Altai Krai, met with the city’s acting mayor, Igor Savintsev. The community was represented by Chief Rabbi of the Altai Krai Yisroel Noach Kamenetsky and chairman of the Jewish community of Barnaul, Mr. Vitaly Shatkov.
At the meeting, the discussion focused on the allocation of land to the Jewish community of Barnaul to build a synagogue. For the past three years, community leaders have been appealing to regional and municipal authorities to allocate a land for the synagogue. “The synagogue is a place for members of the Jewish community to come together. If we are allocated land, then we will be able to build a center and every Jew in Barnaul will be strengthened by the stability of Jewish communal life. We are waiting for your help, the assistance of our government representatives,” stated Mr. Shatkov.
Mr. Savintzev noted that it will be necessary to provide an architectural sketch of the future synagogue so that an appropriate lot can be allocated. He urged the Jewish leaders not to delay and to reconvene in late October.”
The chairman of the city’s committee for architecture and development, Mr. A. Makshantsev, stated that in the near future, a list of places where the synagogue may be located will be submitted.
Located 3500 km. east of Moscow, the Jewish community of Barnaul is a dynamic member of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia.