Shlomo Dov Pinchas Lazar (born May 19, 1964), better known as Berel Lazar, is an
Orthodox
Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to:
Religion
* Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
,
Chabad-Lubavitch
Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic group ...
Hasidic
Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of contem ...
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
. He began his service in Russia in 1990. Known for his friendship with
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
, since 2000, he has been a
Chief Rabbi of Russia
The Chief Rabbi of Russia (Hebrew: הרב הראשי לרוסיה) is the leader of the Jewish communities in Russia since 1990. Currently there are two Chief Rabbis of Russia: Rabbi Berel Lazar of Chabad and Adolf Shayevich from the Congress of th ...
(one of two claimants to the title), and chairman of the
Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia
The Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FJCR; russian: Федерация Еврейских Общин России, ) is a Russian religious organization that unifies communities of Orthodox Judaism, mostly of Chabad Hassidic movement. I ...
and
Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS
Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS (FJC) is a Jewish organisation dedicated to restoring Jewish life, culture and religion in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the former Soviet Union. The FJC was founded on August 1, 1997 ...
. In September 2005 Lazar became a member of the
Public Chamber of Russia
The Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation (russian: Общественная палата Российской Федерации), sometimes shortened to Civic Chamber (russian: Общественная палата), is a consultative civil s ...
. Because of his connections to Russian President
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
he is sometimes called "Putin's rabbi."
Biography
A native of
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, Lazar was born in 1964 to parents who were among the first
emissaries of Rabbi
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson (Modern Hebrew: מנחם מענדל שניאורסון; old-fashioned spelling: מנחם מענדל שניאורסאהן; April 5, 1902 OS – June 12, 1994; AM 11 Nissan 5662 – 3 Tammuz 5754), known to man ...
. Until the age of 15, he studied in Milan’s
Merkaz Jewish Day School. Afterwards, he went on to study in New York and pursued a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree in religious studies at the
Rabbinical College of America
The Rabbinical College of America is a Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic yeshiva in Morristown, New Jersey. The Yeshiva is under the direction of Rabbi Moshe Herson. The growth of the Yeshiva college has had a significant cultural effect on the commu ...
in
. At the age of 23, he was ordained at the
Central Lubavitch Yeshiva
Tomchei Tmimim ( he, תומכי תמימים, "supporters of the complete-wholesome ones") is the central Yeshiva (Talmudical academy) of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. Founded in 1897 in the town of Lubavitch by Rabbi Sholom Do ...
in New York City.
[Federation of Jewish Communities Website, Biography of Lazar](_blank)
Since 1990 Lazar has been rabbi of the synagogue in
Maryina roshcha District
Maryina Roshcha District (russian: райо́н Ма́рьина ро́ща, lit. "Mary's grove") is an administrative district (raion), one of the seventeen in North-Eastern Administrative Okrug of the federal city of Moscow, Russia.Law #13-4 ...
of Moscow. In 1992 Lazar became acquainted with Israeli diamantaire
Lev Leviev, who introduced him to
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
businessmen
Boris Berezovsky and
Roman Abramovich
Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich (, ; he, רומן ארקדיביץ' אברמוביץ'; born 24 October 1966) is a Russian Russian oligarchs, oligarch and politician. He is the former owner of Chelsea F.C., Chelsea, a Premier League football club ...
. The latter became the major benefactor of the synagogue in Maryina roshcha.
In 1992, Lazar was appointed chairman of the Rabbinical Alliance of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
In early 1990s Lazar participated in activity of
(CJROAR), was an active participant of founding congress of
Russian Jewish Congress
The Russian Jewish Congress is a non-profit charitable fund and Russian Jewish organization. It was established in 1996 by a group of Jewish businessmen, workers and religious figures with the goal of reviving Jewish life in Russia.
It unites som ...
in 1996 and even was a member of RJC Presidium. In 1997 he helped establish the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS representing Chabad communities in 15 countries of the former
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
.
At the first congress of
Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia
The Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FJCR; russian: Федерация Еврейских Общин России, ) is a Russian religious organization that unifies communities of Orthodox Judaism, mostly of Chabad Hassidic movement. I ...
(FJCR) opened on November 15, 1999 he was elected chief Rabbi of FJCR. According to many analytics, FJCR structure was created as counterbalance to the
Russian Jewish Congress
The Russian Jewish Congress is a non-profit charitable fund and Russian Jewish organization. It was established in 1996 by a group of Jewish businessmen, workers and religious figures with the goal of reviving Jewish life in Russia.
It unites som ...
(headed by
Vladimir Gusinsky
Vladimir Aleksandrovich Gusinsky (russian: Владимир Александрович Гусинский, ; born 6 October 1952) is a Russian media tycoon. He founded the Media-Most holding company that included the NTV free-to-air channel, ...
) and CJROAR (chief Rabbi —
Adolf Shayevich
Adolf Solomonovich Shayevich (russian: Адольф Соломонович Шаевич; born 28 October 1937)[Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...]
. On May 29, 2000 Berel Lazar became a citizen of Russia, while retaining his U.S. citizenship.
On June 13, 2000 at the "all-Jews congress" (of 87 communities at the place, 70 represented FJCR, 4 — CJROAR, the rest —
Federation of Jewish Organizations and Communities of Russia
A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-govern ...
(Va’ad)) 25 of 26 Rabbis elected Lazar Chief Rabbi of Russia. On September 18, 2000, in the presence of President of Russia Vladimir Putin, th
Moscow Jewish Community Centerwas opened in Maryina Roshcha District, where on December 21, 2000 Vladimir Putin and Moscow mayor
Yury Luzhkov
Yury Mikhailovich Luzhkov ( rus, Ю́рий Миха́йлович Лужко́в, p=ˈjʉrʲɪj mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ lʊˈʂkof; 21 September 1936 – 10 December 2019) was a Russian politician who served as mayor of Moscow from 1992 to 2010 ...
lit
Hanukkah
or English translation: 'Establishing' or 'Dedication' (of the Temple in Jerusalem)
, nickname =
, observedby = Jews
, begins = 25 Kislev
, ends = 2 Tevet or 3 Tevet
, celebrations = Lighting candles each night. ...
candles.
In 2000, Lazar was appointed to Russia's Council for Coordination of Religious Associations. In 2002, Lazar was elected the Chairman of the Rabbinical Council of the
World Congress of Russian Jewry. On January 23, 2001 he participated in the official meeting with President of
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
Moshe Katsav
Moshe Katsav ( he, מֹשֶׁה קַצָּב; born 5 December 1945) is an Israeli former politician who was the eighth President of Israel from 2000 to 2007. He was also a leading Likud member of the Israeli Knesset and a minister in its cabine ...
in the
Kremlin
The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty, Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of th ...
.
On March 20, 2001 under instruction of the President Vladimir Putin, Lazar was included in the Presidential Council for Interaction with Religious Organizations and Unions; simultaneously
Shayevich was excluded from the Council. According to both the Russian government and Federation of Jewish Communities, he is the Chief Rabbi of Russia.
Lazar spoke out against the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
, called Russia to withdraw and for an end to the war, and offered to mediate.
Views
Interfaith dialogue
Lazar is an advocate of
interfaith dialogue
Interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive, and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions (i.e. "faiths") and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels. It is ...
and sits on the Board of World Religious Leaders for
The Elijah Interfaith Institute
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
.
Awards
In 2004, Russian President
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
signed an edict to honor him with the
Order of Friendship
The Order of Friendship (russian: Орден Дружбы, ') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation established by Boris Yeltsin by presidential decree 442 of 2 March 1994 to reward Russian and foreign nationals whose work, deeds a ...
. This award was presented for the contribution made by Lazar to developing culture and strengthening friendship between nations within Russia.
In December 2004, he was honored with a national public award, the 'Minin and Pozharsky' Order "for his great personal contribution to strengthening the moral and cultural fabric of the Russian State and for reviving spiritual life and religious freedom in the country".
In June 2005, he was awarded the Medal "60 Years of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945". He received the medal during the 19th session of the Russian 'Pobeda' (Victory) Organizational Committee.
In September 2005, he received the 'Peter the Great' First Class Order. The diploma attached to the Order explains that the Chief Rabbi was honored with this award "considering his activities in advancing inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations, and his great contribution to the spiritual rebirth of Russia’s Jewish community and to strengthening Russian state".
At the sixtieth anniversary commemoration of the liberation of
Auschwitz
Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...
at the concentration camp, Putin gave a speech. His speech was followed by Lazar awarding Putin the so-called Salvation Medal as a symbol of "the Jewish people's gratitude" to Russia for liberating the camp.
Chabad Prize to Putin Spurring Debate Over Russian's Actions
/ref>
Gallery
File:Vladimir Putin 21 December 2000-2.jpg, President Putin with Lazar during the Hanukkah
or English translation: 'Establishing' or 'Dedication' (of the Temple in Jerusalem)
, nickname =
, observedby = Jews
, begins = 25 Kislev
, ends = 2 Tevet or 3 Tevet
, celebrations = Lighting candles each night. ...
holiday at the Jewish Community Center in Moscow
File:Орденом «За заслуги перед Отечеством» IV степени награждён главный раввин России Берл Лазар.jpeg, Lazar receives an Order "For Merit to the Fatherland"
The Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (russian: Орден «За заслуги перед Отечеством», ''Orden "Za zaslugi pered Otechestvom"'') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation. It was instituted on 2 March 1994 by P ...
from President Putin, 31 July 2014
File:2012-03-05 Владимир Путин, Берл Лазар.jpeg
File:Berl Lazar and Putin in 2005.jpg
File:Berl Lazar 1.jpg
File:National Unity Day 2012 final photo.jpeg
File:Vladimir Putin, Berl Lazar, Alexander Boroda (2016-12-28).jpg
File:National Unity Day Russian religious leaders 2012.jpeg
References
External links
Chief Rabbinate of Russia
Page One article from The Wall Street Journal, May 8, 2007
(in Russian)
Official Facebook page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lazar, Berel
1964 births
20th-century Italian rabbis
21st-century rabbis
Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis
Chief rabbis of Russia
Hasidic rabbis in Europe
Italian Orthodox rabbis
Italian emigrants to Russia
Living people
Members of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation
Clergy from Milan
Russian Hasidic rabbis
Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries
Italian Ashkenazi Jews
Rabbis from Moscow
Russian activists against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine