Crimean, Russian Jews urge lifting sanctions

Representatives of major Jewish groups in Russia urge Western coreligionists to lobby for peeling back sanctions against Moscow.

The call is made in a document that carries signatures of Crimean Jews and executives from the Chabad-affiliated Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, as well as the Congress of the Jewish Religious Organizations and Associations in Russia, which is not affiliated with the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, the news site Lenta.ru reported Saturday.

In the letter seen by Lenta, the co-signatories ask Western Jews “to prepare public opinion in their countries [for] starting a dialogue with their governments to lift sanctions against Russia and Crimea.” It is signed by Rabbi Ariel Triger, who is in charge of regional development at the Chabad-affiliated federation, and by the congress’s vice president, Zinovy ​​Kogan.

— JTA