Former Moscow rabbi wants all Jews to leave Putin's Russia

Moscow's former chief rabbi discusses anti-Semitism, morality and red line between democracy and authoritarianism in Vladimir Putin's Russia.

Moscow's former chief rabbi discusses anti-Semitism, morality and red line between democracy and authoritarianism in Vladimir Putin's Russia. Pinchas Goldschmidt spoke with Tim Sebastian from

Pinchas Goldschmidt, open forum: Is Religion Outdated in the 21st Century?:
DAVOS/SWITZERLAND, 25JAN13 - Pinchas Goldschmidt, Chief Rabbi and President, Conference of European Rabbis, Russian Federation speaks during the session 'Open forum: Is Religion Outdated in the 21st Century?' at the Annual Meeting 2013 of the World Economic Forum at the Swiss alpine high school in Davos, Switzerland, January 25, 2013.

Source: DW News, Conflict Zone

Pinchas Goldschmidt spoke with Tim Sebastian from Berlin.

Chapters Info:

  • 0:00 Overview
  • 1:15 Welcome to Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt
  • 3:55 Morality and moral response to Kremlin's Ukraine invasion
  • 4:40 A different country with different rules.
  • 5:56 Where was Europe, US after annexation of Crimea in 2014?
  • 10:27 I'm concerned about the future of the Jewish community in Russia.
  • 12:07 Rise in anti-Semitism, closing of the Iron Curtain, repression and draft for the army.
  • 13:18 Judaism is a religion of deeds, speaking out is secondary.
  • 14:00 Helping refugees in Budapest, Warsaw and Romania
  • 16:08 Is leaving Russia, running away?
  • 17:00 My community is all over the world, Dubai, Israel, London, Germany.
  • 17:51 Some Jewish leaders in Russia supported invasion.
  • 19:07 Chief Rabbi of Odessa, refugees from Mariupol and Kyiv.
  • 20:11 No mediation between good and evil.
  • 20:40 Israel is not financing the war.
  • 21:39 Hezbollah, Iran, Syria, and Israel.
  • 23:00 PM Lapid's criticism of Russia.
  • 23:36 Russia is entering a period of deep isolation and new Iron Curtain with Europe.

Pinchas Goldschmidt (born 21 July 1963) has been the Chief Rabbi of Moscow, Russia since 1993, serving at the Moscow Choral Synagogue. He also founded and has headed the Moscow Rabbinical Court of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) since 1989, and since 2011 serves as president of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER) which unites over seven hundred communal rabbis from Dublin to Khabarovsk.

In the aftermath of increased socio-political repression within Russia in 2022 within the context of the Russo-Ukrainian war, Goldschmidt gained international media attention for his recommendation that all Jews living in Russia leave the country for their own safety and security.

Given his role in speaking for the benefit of the Jewish community, he's stated that he's been a magnet for personal threats of violence by antisemitic extremists