Sephardic Chief Rabbi Amar: Sephardic gathering in Russia symbolizes unit
צילום: אילן מרסיאנו
Sephardic Jews gather in Moscow
Israel's Chief Sephardic Rabbi Shlomo Amar says event 'symbolizes unity of our communities in times characterized by serious contradictions'
MOSCOW - A first-ever congress of Sephardic Jews designed to unite longtime Jewish communities in the Caucasus and Central Asia has concluded with plans announced to open a major center for Sephardic Jews in Moscow.
"I am convinced that the union of Sephardic Jews will promote the unification of all Jews in love and respect," said Russia's Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar.
Israel's Chief Sephardic Rabbi Shlomo Amar said the event "symbolized the unity of our communities in times characterized by serious contradictions."
President of the Federation of the CIS Jewish Communities Lev Leviev said there were plans to open a Sephardic center here.
"We will build a big center of Sephardic Jews in Moscow to pass down our heritage and traditions to our children," he said.
He said assimilation is a key problem for Sephardic Jews today.
"Sephardic Jews saw no assimilation 20-30 years ago, but today, we can see its sharp growth," Leviev said, attributing it to a lack of Jewish education.
Sephardic Jews appeared on the CIS space in the eighth century and managed to preserve their cultural and religious traditions to a greater extent than Ashkenazi (European) Jews have.
Reprinted courtesy of Novosti Russian news agency
