Responding to a question about antisemitism, Rabbi Goldschmidt said that two of the four announced candidates for the office of President of Russia are Jews. The high public profiles of these individuals, Yevgeny Primakov and Grigory Yavlinsky, creates a problem. Because of prejudice against them, Jews (and also Armenians) are more energetic than many Russians, said Rabbi Goldschmidt. Therefore, they are high achievers and disproportionately represented among the elites. Many Russians resent the prominence of Jews. Many ambitious Jews converted to Russian Orthodox Christianity in the past; however, fewer conversions have occurred since 1993 or 1994. Rabbi Goldschmidt again credited the participation of high profile Jews in the Russian Jewish Congress as encouraging other Jews to accept communal responsibility.

In a separate individual discussion one week after the meeting with the mixed National Conference on Soviet Jewry and American Jewish Committee delegation, Rabbi Goldschmidt expanded on some of his previous statements. As an example of the growth in Jewish religious identity, he said that many Jews now are aware of the Jewish calendar. Between 4,000 and 5,000 Jews in Moscow attended Rosh Hashana services in 1999, and other Jews observed Rosh Hashana informally in home celebrations. Although few observe Yom Kippur in the traditional manner, many Moscow Jews now avoid socializing at that time. Many Jews light menorahs, which are distributed by several different organizations, at Chanukah, said Rabbi Goldschmidt. About 25 public seders were held in Moscow last Pesach, each attended by approximately 100 people. Additionally, he continued, it is likely that between 5,000 and 7,000 Moscow Jews participated in home seders, many of them organized by the 2,000 youngsters in Moscow Jewish day schools.

Rabbi Goldschmidt said that 15 synagogues exist in Moscow, five of them officially registered as such and three of them functioning as components of yeshivot. The others are neighborhood shteibels or gatherings at various Jewish institutions, such as the regular minyans at several Jewish day schools.64 He thinks that Moscow can support about 60 synagogues or “points of prayer.” Rabbi Goldschmidt noted that synagogues create jobs in the Jewish community and may lead to the establishment of onsite welfare establishments (such as soup kitchens), various educational and cultural programs, or other community ventures.

Participation in Jewish worship is encouraged by the 1999 publication and widespread distribution of a siddur (prayer book) in Russian and Hebrew, including Hebrew transliterated into Russian. Called Shma Israel, the siddur was developed by the Shamir outreach organization in Israel and sponsored by the Congress of Jewish Religious Communities and Societies in Russia (Конгресса Еврейских Религиозных Общин и Организаций России, often referred to by its Russian initials, KEROOR).65

Rabbi Goldschmidt escorted the writer on a visit to the new Sephardi synagogue built on the grounds of the Moscow Choral Synagogue. A small structure, the ground floor includes a synagogue area with wooden pews made in Belarus. A storage compartment with lock and key is located on the back of each seat for the siddur and other belongings of people in the next row. In response to the writer’s observation that the synagogue did not include a women’s balcony, Rabbi Goldschmidt pointed out that some space existed in the back of the sanctuary for additional chairs; however, few women from Caucasus Mountain communities attend synagogue. The second floor includes a kitchen and several small meeting rooms, including a youth activity room.

Rabbi Goldschmidt uses the terms “Sephardi” and “Caucasus” interchangeably to refer to Jews from the Caucasus Mountain area. Most Moscow Jews from this region associated with Rabbi Goldschmidt and the new synagogue are Tat or Mountain Jews and are from Daghestan or Azerbaidjan. Rabbi Goldschmidt said that many migrated to Moscow during the glasnost period or after the collapse of the Soviet Union and became importers of various goods. However, the banking crisis of August 1998 and subsequent economic difficulties have sharply restricted the market for imports. Unable to earn a satisfactory income under such circumstances, many Caucasus Mountain Jews have left for Israel during the past year. Those who remain are subject to police checks and other forms of harassment because of their physical resemblance to Chechens.66 Jewish families from the Caucasus Mountain area are more traditional, less subject to intermarriage, and more likely to be intact than are Ashkenazi families, said Rabbi Goldschmidt.

Rabbi Goldschmidt repeated that only about 30 percent of all olim (immigrants in Israel) from Moscow are halakhically Jewish. This large influx of non-Jews is creating a major problem in Israel. Earlier olim from the Soviet Union and its successor states, many of whom made aliyah for Zionist reasons, are among those who are most concerned.

Rabbi Goldschmidt confirmed that synagogues and other organizations associated with Chabad have not joined the Russian Jewish Congress. (However, Rabbi Berel Lazar, the chief representative of Chabad in Russia, is a member of the REK Presidium and sits on several REK committees, and various Chabad organizations accept REK subsidies.) Chabad is the dominant Jewish religious force in Ukraine, said Rabbi Goldschmidt, but it does not control Russia. Independent non-Chabad rabbis serve in 11 different Russian cities, including Moscow. In some of these cities, they “compete” with Chabad, but Rabbi Goldschmidt views such competition as “benevolent.” He noted that Chabad has agreed to cease trying to delegitimize non-Chabad rabbis, a major positive development. However, battles may ensue over the recovery of former synagogues. Rabbi Goldschmidt agrees with the Chabad premise that Chabad has the right to reclaim former Chabad synagogues, but some others may challenge Chabad over repossession of such property.

Referring to the Russian Jewish Congress (REK) and to the Moscow Jewish Community (MERO), Rabbi Goldschmidt said that the latter is the grandchild of the former. (He did not mention the intermediate generation, the Moscow Jewish Congress, which was dissolved when its president was arrested and sentenced to prison for financial malfeasance.) Although the economic crisis has had an impact on contributions to these organizations, the severity of the impact is less than had been feared. Banks and import businesses have lost money, but export businesses have prospered now that the ruble has lost much of its previously inflated value. The number of major donors has increased, said Rabbi Goldschmidt, and MERO is attracting both major and mid-level gifts. However, the lack of a strong middle class is a deterrent to mid-level giving. Contributions to MERO of more than $100,000 usually are designated for special purposes, rather than for general support.