Moscow’s chief rabbi Rav Pinchas Goldschmidt was under pressure to publicly support the war in Ukraine by Russian authorities and opted to leave the country, Ynet reports.
Rabbi Goldschmidt left the Russian capital a short time after Russia invaded Ukraine some 3 months ago, and in an official statement said he returned to Israel to be with his sick father. However, officials who attended the annual Conference of European Rabbis in Munich revealed that Rabbi Goldschmidt was under heavy pressure to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The rabbi has served in Moscow for the last 33 years and is also the President of the Conference of European Rabbis.
Officials in the Russian Jewish community said that because Rabbi Goldschmidt has been helping refugees from Ukraine in recent months, he is afraid to return to Moscow.
Rabbi Goldschmidt refused to comment on the allegations that he was forced to leave Russia due to his refusal to publicly support the war.
{Matzav.com}
This report seems lacking in accuracy. If it is as reported, why is Berel Lazar, the Lubavitcher chief shliach to Russia still there (when he is not traveling outside the country, which he has done quite often)? Would the same argument not apply to him, especially since the Lubavitchers call him chief Rabbi of Russia, and due to his longstanding relationship with Russian President Putin?
Therefore, from what I have heard, and from some critical thinking, it seems that the situation is more complicated than presented above.
I don’t believe this story for a second. Apparently Matzav has bought in to the Ukrainian propoganda machine. For shame.