Former Chief Rabbi of Moscow Pinchas Goldschmidt in an interview Guard Members of the Jewish community were advised to leave Russia “as far as possible” before being made “scapegoat” for the hardships caused by the military operation in Ukraine.
According to him, the level of anti-Semitism is increasing in Russia.
“So I think the best option for Russian Jews is to leave the country,” he said.
According to Goldschmidt, when the political system in Russia is in danger, the leadership as a rule tries to “direct the anger and discontent of the masses towards the Jewish community.”
The Moscow Jewish Religious Organization (MERO) declined to comment on Goldschmidt’s appeal to the Jews. DEA News.
According to Olga Esaulova, the organisation’s press secretary, Rabbi Goldshmidt no longer works for them, so they cannot comment on his words.
On June 8, 2022, Goldschmidt left Russia. According to his daughter-in-law, the rabbi and his wife Dara decided to leave after “under pressure from the authorities to publicly support a special operation in Ukraine”. Two weeks after the start of Russian special operations in Ukraine, he flew to Hungary, and then to Jerusalem, where his father was treated.