Russian chief rabbi leads solidarity visit to Jerusalem

Dozens of Russian Jewish community leaders and businessmen arrived in Israel for a solidarity visit led by Russian Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar.

The approximately 50 visitors from across the Russian Federation landed in Israel earlier this week and are scheduled to return next week, Lazar said.

The group was scheduled to leave for Israel after the Jewish holidays, “but some thought we should reschedule in light of the situation,” Lazar said in reference to dozens of attacks on Jews by Palestinians over the past two weeks, and several revenge attacks by Jews against Arabs. “But we decided that this was precisely the time to come to Israel and show our solidarity.”

The delegation, with representatives from St. Petersburg near Finland to Khabarovsk near the Chinese border, “is taking basic security precautions but we are making a point of getting around in Jerusalem on foot, as the Jerusalemites do, to show we will not be intimidated by terror,” Lazar said. The delegation visited army bases in Israel’s north, where participants donated money toward helping improve soldiers’ service conditions, he added.