Chief Rabbi of the Russian Federation Lazar Berl: biography, family. The book "Jewish Russia"

In 2010, according to the census, in Russia there were slightly more than 156 thousand Jews, or 0.16% of the total population. This people, persecuted for centuries, lives quite comfortably on Russian soil, builds synagogues, opens Jewish schools, celebrates Jewish holidays. The chief rabbi of Russia, whose name is Berl Lazar, is fighting to further improve the life of the Jews. Who is he? Where did it come from? How did you win the unprecedented trust and strong friendship of the most senior people?

Positions and titles

Some believe: the rabbi is someone who serves in the synagogue, such as the Orthodox ministers of the church. In fact, rabbis are not clergymen at all. From Hebrew this word can be translated as "great", "teacher", and it means an academic title (like "professor", "academician") for someone who studied the Torah and the Talmud. In addition, in some countries, rabbis can work as government officials. Knowing these subtleties helps to better understand who is and what Lazar Berl is doing. The diploma of the rabbi he received in 1988, after the completion of the yeshiva (higher religious institution) "Tomhei Tmimim", located in New York. The rank indicated in his diploma is a Dayan, that is, a judge. Based on this, Lazar Berl is engaged in jurisprudence in Jewish communities, solves issues of divorce proceedings, economic and other disputes of businessmen. In addition, he is actively engaged in public affairs as a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, which according to the Decree signed by President Putin in 2005. The chief rabbi of Russia actively cooperates with international organizations, participates in congresses of the World Congress of Jews of Russia (as chairman), heads delegations, reads sermons, and writes books in his spare time.

The beginning of the life path

In 1964, on a wonderful spring day, May 19, a boy named Shlomo Dov-Ber Lazar Pinhos, and shortly Berl Lazar, was born to the family of the Milan rabbi, emissary of the Rebbe Chabad - the famous Mendel Shneerson. His biography is quite happy, without black spots of repression and persecution. Little Berl grew up with the mother's milk absorbing the Jewish traditions and ideology of Chabad. As Lazar himself recalls, as a child, he had two idols - his father, who always helps the needy, and Sherlock Holmes. Little Berl adored Conan Doyle and dreamed of becoming a detective. Up to 15 years he studied at the usual Milan Jewish school. Outstanding physical abilities did not stand out, was thin and frail, but did well in school. At the age of 15 he moved to America, where he entered a Jewish college, and after finishing it, he went to receive higher education in the yeshiva "Tomhei Tmimim". At the age of 23, Lazar Berl passed the rite of ordination (initiation), and at the age of 24 he received a diploma of the rabbi and the rank of dyan.

Marriage

Successful in science and life, young Berl did not hurry to marry, which he often told his fellow students in the yeshiva. However, his mother was longing for grandchildren. When Berl was going to do Judaic activities in Russia, his mother agreed that he would go there, but only after the marriage. Berl had to obey. His wife became a citizen of America, a Jew by nationality, a teacher by profession Hannah Derain, who at that time was 20 years old. Lazar Berl met his bride not himself, but with the help of a matchmaker. Hannah's family lived in Pittsburgh. Her father, Ezekiel Derain, also a rabbi, raised daughters (Hannah has 2 sisters) in national traditions and strictness, taught to respect and observe the laws of Judaism. The young people approached each other like walls to the house, and two months later they were married. They lived in America for a year, then moved to Russia.

Children

Hanna Derain considers herself to be a happy woman and never tires of repeating what a wonderful husband Lazar Berl. Family for him is the most important thing. The couple today have 13 children, each of whom is immensely loved. Their very first daughter, Haya, died at the age of six. If this did not happen, Lazar's heirs would have had 14. According to the Jewish laws, there must be as many children as the god gives them. This family clearly enjoys his benevolence. The difference between the children here is only a year or two. Hannah, answering the question of how she manages to cope with such a "brigade", says that their elders always help the younger ones and, of course, mom. Education here is based on the laws of Judaism. Both parents believe that it does not matter who their children will be, the main thing is that they live with true faith in their souls. The second postulate of upbringing is to tell the children only the truth, even if it is an inauspicious invention, in order for the baby to eat the unloved manga. Despite so many domestic responsibilities, Hannah finds time to lead a private Jewish school, and children there from 2 years old.

Eldest daughter

Lazar Berl and Hannah have 8 girls and 5 boys. The eldest daughter, Blum, born in 1991, in June, married Isaac Rosenfeld, whose father is also a rabbi and also a messenger of Chabad, only in Colombia. Young people met with the help of Hannah Lazar, who, as a girl, often visited the Rosenfeld family. The groom flew to Moscow to get acquainted with the bride from a warm Colombian summer in the frosty Russian winter. After several meetings, the young people decided to get married, and after four and a half months, in June 2011, their wedding was held. It was organized in one of the major parks of the capital. More than 1,500 people from America, Israel, Colombia, Russia, Ukraine and other countries with the organization Chabad came to congratulate Blum and Isaac, and also to pay their respects to the Chief Rabbi of Russia. Berl Lazar emphasized that two decades ago it was unthinkable to dream of an open Jewish wedding, and now it happened almost in the center of Moscow, that is, there is a lot of progress in improving the situation of the Jews in Russia.

The first acquaintance with the capital

Rabbi Berl Lazar first came to Moscow as a student of a yeshiva. It happened in 1987, just after his ordination, during perestroika, when a mighty country was literally torn to pieces. As Berl recalls, at that time no one knew him, so he could walk freely along the streets, ride the subway, which he loves very much. Now the chief rabbi can not afford this. Moves through the city, he is exclusively with protection. The first visit to Russia was not only a tourist voyage. A young emissary of Chabad came here to establish a connection between the Russian Jewish community and the outside world. At that time in the dying Soviet Union no one was interested in what Khabad Lubavitch was, what his grandiose plans were, so the mission was accomplished successfully. What was the most striking thing about Berl? The openness, sincerity and hospitality of those still Soviet people, ready to share the latter.

Moving to Russia

Impressed by the visit of the Soviet state Berl Lazar began to learn Russian, in addition to Italian, English, Yiddish, Hebrew, French, which is fluent in perfection. In 1989, he took part in the opening of a new Jewish school in Moscow, and in 1990 moved with his family to Russia for a long-term residence and almost immediately (in early 1991) became a rabbi in a synagogue located in the Marina Grove. The difficulties that occurred in those years were due to the fact that many Jews, as soon as the Soviet Union collapsed and borders were opened, emigrated to Israel and America urgently. But gradually, under the leadership of Berl Lazar, the Jewish community began to revive. Moscow is the most beautiful and largest city in Europe, home to several dozen nationalities of people. Jews here are about 200 000. The largest community of Moscow (MEOTS) is located in the Marina Grove. Here there is not only a synagogue, but also children's general schools, a women's club, sports clubs, a theater where amateur and professional groups perform, the Solomon business club, whose goal is to create a world Jewish business.

Weekdays of the Chief Rabbi

The Russian people were and remain unusually friendly to representatives of all nationalities, widely opening the doors to students from all countries, tourists and refugees. The same attitude we have with Jews. Berl Lazar about the Russians always speaks respectfully (in any case, publicly). He is glad that his children are friends with Russian children, and that their main language is Russian. Unfortunately, in any country there are citizens who are negatively inclined towards representatives of national minorities. Cases of vandalism also happen in Russia. So, in Malakhovka the Jewish cemetery was destroyed. In this regard, Berl Lazar offered a large financial reward to those who help find the culprits. He also provided financial assistance and personally visited Tatiana Sapunova, who was injured in Moscow for removing the sign with an anti-Semitic inscription, in a hospital in Israel. These are all troubles that poison the everyday life of the chief rabbi. But there is also much good, for example, the opening of new synagogues and Jewish centers not only in Moscow, but throughout Russia. To this end, Berl Lazar travels to different cities (Perm, Barnaul and others), meets there with measures and other officials.

Relations with the President of Russia

The foreign press calls Berl Lazar not otherwise than "the rabbi of Putin." Indeed, it was with the assistance of the President that Mr. Lazar added to the two available citizenships, Israeli and American, in 2000, a third one, the Russian one. In the future, the cooperation of these two people grew into an unprecedented friendship. According to Hannah Lazar, when the husband is going to the Kremlin, the children are surely asked to take them with them or at least send greetings to their uncle Vova, adored. Putin often visits the Jewish community, sometimes on Jewish holidays. Berl Lazar does not hide his trust with the president. "Jewish Russia" is his new book, in which the rabbi says that Putin consults him on many issues, and Berle gives him advice in the form of parables. Though, probably, the translator something exaggerated. However, one can not be mistaken about the interest of our president in the affairs of the Jewish society in Russia, because, for all his employment, he finds time to visit a new Jewish museum, created with the participation of Berl, to go to Israel to open a Jewish monument, to allocate an hour or two for a private conversation with the rabbi.

Awards

Lazar Berl does a lot for Russia, which is marked by medals, orders and letters. Decrees to receive awards were signed personally by President Putin.

Two orders the Russian rabbi received in 2004. The first is the Order of Minin and Pozharsky, the second is the Order of Friendship.

In the following year, 2005, the Order of Peter the Great was given, given for courage and courage in the performance of civil or military duty and for the sake of strengthening Russia, and the medal "60 Years of Victory in World War II".

In 2006, the Russian rabbi was awarded the Golden Sign "Public Recognition", and in 2014 - the Order "For Services to the Fatherland."

Berl Lazar and Chabad

The whole world knows what the Chabad movement is now. Created in the 18th century with the aim of spreading the teachings of the Torah on the basis of wisdom, understanding and knowledge, in recent years it has become reactionary, as some members of this movement say in public speeches without hiding this fact. In particular, they declare that Jews are special, chosen, sacred, and all the others must serve the elect. In Russia, this movement is led by Lazar Berl. Chabad in his face does not fit in with barbarism and Nazism. The Chief Rabbi advocates the peaceful coexistence of peoples, while striving at the maximum improvement of the position of the Jews. He wants to conduct another census, because he is sure that his co-religionists live in the country much more than official figures say.

Tolerance

This term in sociology means tolerance for other worldviews and customs. In 2012, through the efforts of Berl Lazar in the Marina Grove, the Center for Tolerance was opened, where a branch of the Russian State Library soon appeared. There one can take the works of Schneerson, the last rebbe of Chabad, to read. The book by Berl Lazar also found its place in the Center. Use of the library is allowed for all Russians. This can not but rejoice.

The book of the chief Russian rabbi

The greatest number of disputes and rejections in Russian society was caused by the book, authored by Berl Lazar. "Jewish Russia" is what it is called. This work is written in Hebrew, but you can find the Russian translation of individual chapters. Some things that are in it, can cause surprise. Of course, it is entirely possible that the whole thing is in the wrong translation. You can find out this by reading the book in the original.