The bloody war going on in Ukraine has put Rabbi Alexander Boroda, the President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, in a predicament that he never thought he would get into. Although he was born in Moscow, his family came from Ukraine, having taken refuge in Russia during World War II.
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Boroda has many memories of Ukraine: As a child, he used to spend the summer months at his grandparents' who returned to Ukraine. As an adult, he was stationed as a soldier in Ukraine. Now, suddenly, he finds himself accused of being a "warmonger" and a supporter of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and his war against Ukraine.
As mentioned, Boroda's name was included in an updated list of "warmongers and bribe-takers" published in late July by associates of the detained Russian regime dissident Alexei Navalny. This is the first time that any Rabbi has been included in this list, which serves as a basis for imposing sanctions by Western governments on officials considered to be supporters of Putin and the war.
However, Boroda is not the only religious figure whose name has been added to the list, which also includes the head of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia and the deputy mufti of Crimea. At the same time, Boroda was assaulted by Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, the rabbi of Moscow and President of the Conference of European Rabbis, who left Russia in protest against the war in Ukraine and moved to Israel. Rabbi Goldschmidt claimed that the Jewish community of Russia is being held hostage.
In his first interview for the Israeli media, the 54-year-old Boroda flatly rejects the accusations against him and explains that they have nothing to do with reality and cause him and the Jewish community of Russia serious harm. The interview took place during his short visit to Israel. "The allegations by Navalny surprised me a lot, they are bizarre and have nothing to do with the truth," Boroda emphasizes, adding: "Rabbi Goldschmidt's words about the Jewish community in Russia and the state of the community also astonished me a lot. What Goldschmidt said in his interviews in Israel is wrong."
Q: What's not true about their allegations?
"Check what I've been saying since the end of February until now. There is a statement of mine regarding the need for peace, which was published at the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis on the website of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia. We've sent it to all the communities. This is our official position. Rabbi Berel Lazar, the Chief Rabbi of Russia and the Federation of the Communities, also issued an official call for peace. Also, at the beginning of March, I gave an interview to the Russian news agency 'Interfax.' I was asked how I feel about the fact that in recent years, Ukrainians who supported Hitler in World War II have become national heroes of Ukraine, streets are named after them, and monuments are put in their honor. I replied that I looked at it very negatively. This is not only my opinion, the former president of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, during his visit to Ukraine, also said that the State of Israel does not agree with the fact that murderers of Jews become heroes. Many articles have been published on this topic in various newspapers around the world, including The New York Times and other important newspapers. It is a fact that the Ukrainian collaborators caused the Jews no less harm than the Germans themselves."
However, Rabbi Boroda emphasizes: "I am not talking about all Ukraine and all Ukrainians, God forbid. Many Ukrainians have been recognized as Righteous Among the Nations, but we also remember the criminals. I stressed that the majority of Ukrainians do not support the commemoration of these criminals, but there is still a considerable number of supporters. My words had nothing to do with the current situation between Russia and Ukraine. How were they turned into words of support for what is happening now? It is not clear to me. I was referring to a problem unrelated to the tragedy we are seeing today. These words were taken out of context and they don't justify what is happening now."
"I only spoke for peace", clarifies Rabbi Boroda as he struggles to hide his emotions about the accusations leveled against him, "This is not only my private opinion but the position of Judaism. We pray for peace three times a day. The Jewish people have suffered so much throughout history that they especially understand the importance of peace. And people in Russia understand that the Jewish religion stands for peace. Therefore, Navalny's statement surprised me. I think it was a mistake. They wanted to refer to representatives of different religions and were looking for someone Jewish. Navalny is the first to reconnect with the former Soviet Union's tradition of making problems for rabbis."
"Goldschmidt provoked antisemitism"
With all the criticism of his inclusion in the list of "warmongers" published by Navalny and his associates, Rabbi Boroda utters particularly harsh words on the statements Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt made after his departure from Russia. "What Goldschmidt said is something different. He wants to show everyone that he left Russia because he was under pressure. He is not the only rabbi in Russia. There are many rabbis in Russia, no less important than him and no one of them told they were under pressure. Please let him tell who pressured him. In his last interviews he kind of sidesteps this question," he said.
He also added: "There are two types of rabbis: those who come to Russia, become part of their community and feel responsible for it; and those who come only because they got a job contract and don't care about the community. Goldschmidt looks at the remaining community in Russia as radical and unimportant people. He doesn't worry about them. He left the community, so people were really angry about his behavior. He used the community as a step on his way toward a new stage of his life. He claims that those who remain in Russia support the war and he is the only one who opposes the war, that's why he left. This is wrong and disrespectful towards the Jews. He views the Russian Jews as subhuman. This is his attitude to the place where he spent 33 years and to the ordinary Jews of Russia and Moscow. If you look at what he did, what he built, what was happening inside his community, it becomes clear that he did not act for the benefit of the community and the Jews of Moscow and Russia."
Q: What is the current state of the Jewish community in Russia?
"After February 24, everyone was in shock. I wasn't in Moscow at the time and everybody was waiting for me to figure out what to do. I came back, talked to everyone, and calmed them down. I said there were harder times in history and that we should keep together, pray more, and spend more time at the synagogue. A lot of people went to Israel, acquired citizenship, and returned, since immigrating to Israel is a very difficult thing for people who have already arranged their lives in Russia. People get Israeli citizenship because it allows them today to go to certain places in the world, they also feel connected to Israel as Jews, but many have returned to Russia.
"The economic situation is difficult, but the community is strong. More people come to community centers and synagogues looking for answers to their questions. We feel that every difficult situation strengthens their connection to Judaism. I give Shabbat sermons and more people come to listen. The other days they used to talk more about the situation in the world, but today we are talking about the Parsha of the week, about Jewish history, which helps us to understand what we went through and how we got stronger. We will get through this period as well."
Q: Is antisemitism on the rise?
"Goldschmidt's actions impacted the grow of antisemitism – a rabbi who fled Russia and started to smear the Jewish community, that made a bad impression. However, it didn't put us under pressure. The relations between Russia and Israel are good. What happened with the Jewish Agency is very concerning to us. I hope the situation will be resolved because it's very serious. The Jewish Agency is a very important element in the relationship between Israel and Russia."
Q: Are the Russians disappointed with the Israeli government's position regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine?
"It does not seem that Israel has entered this conflict that much. The State of Israel remains neutral. It is very important that the direct air service between Moscow and Tel Aviv remains. It makes the Russian Jews feel that Israel has not left them, that the relations between Russia and Israel continue and that Israel is available to Jews. The continuous work of all the Jewish organizations is very important for the community. I do not feel that Israel has taken any side, which I consider very good because it concerns its impact on Jews in Russia."
Q: How would you explain the problems the Jewish Agency is facing?
"As far as I know – and I am not involved in the matter – the problems did not start now but probably a year ago... Any organization operating in a particular state should follow its laws and the Jewish Agency is no exception. The Federation of Jewish Communities also follows the laws, and if they change, we act accordingly. I hope everything will work out and the Jewish Agency will arrange the required documents and continue its work in Russia."
Q: Personally, how do you feel about Russia being at war with the country your family comes from?
"All the Jews of the former Soviet Union are a family. I keep in touch with rabbis in Ukraine, we are friendly, we support and help each other, there are no quarrels between us. We are one nation. There are no wars between Jews in Russia and Jews in Ukraine. We are in pain for the dead and wounded. We pray for peace in hope that some sort of compromise will be found. All wars end in negotiations, there will be negotiations here too. We hope that the parties get to this as quickly as possible, that there will be fewer dead and injured. The Russians and Ukrainians who died in the war have parents, wives and children. It's a tragedy. I hope it ends as soon as possible."
Q: Does Israel play any role in efforts to end the conflict?
"In my opinion, it is important to try to achieve peace. Those who can contribute to achieving peace should do it. I appreciate that former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett went to Russia in his attempt to mediate between Russia and Ukraine. As we know, he did not succeed. But everyone who works for peace is doing a great mitzvah."
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