A protest by Moscow’s Chief Rabbi Yehuda Leib Levin to the Israel Embassy in the Soviet capital against alleged distribution by Embassy staff members of Hebrew prayer books and prayer shawls to Moscow Jews, was received here today. It evoked immediate reaction on the part of Israel’s Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim.
The Israeli Chief Rabbi categorically rejected the allegations contained in the protest of the Moscow rabbi that the Israel Embassy had “disturbed” the peace of the Jewish community in Moscow by distributing religious articles in the synagogue there. In his letter of reply to the Moscow rabbi, the Chief Rabbi of Israel expressed “regret and deep hurt” over the fact that religious leaders of the Moscow Jewish community protested to the Israeli Embassy.
“Even if the Embassy officials did provide the members of the synagogue in Moscow with religious articles, how could this be regarded as a disturbance?”, Chief Rabbi Nissim argued in his letter. Pointing out that it is generally known that there is a great shortage in the Soviet Union of prayer books, prayer shawls, mezuzoth and other Jewish religious articles, Rabbi Nissim expressed hope that “by Divine intervention, “all barriers to our Soviet brethren in obtaining needed religious articles will be lifted.” He added that “if Israel Embassy officials did alleviate the dire shortage of such articles, they should be blessed rather than censured.”
Rabbi Levin’s protest had been sent in his name and in the name of the elders of the Central Synagogue in Moscow. They urged the Israeli Embassy to halt the distribution of the religious articles, saying they were not needed by the congregation, and asking the Embassy to desist from such further gifts.
The letter charged the Embassy with abusing the hospitality of the Moscow synagogue by “sowing confusion and bitterness” among the worshipers. Until the Embassy officials appeared on the scene, the letter stated, synagogue prayers were carried out in Joy and holy splendor.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
