The chief rabbi of Moscow was removed from his position this week, two months after he fled Russia due to mounting pressure by authorities to support the war in Ukraine.
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Pinchas Goldschmidt, who is also the president of the Conference of European Rabbis, served as chief rabbi of the Russian capital for over 20 years. He left the country shortly after the Kremlin mounted its invasion of Ukraine.
Although he originally claimed to have left Russia to help his elderly father in Israel, he later confirmed that he left because of the war.
In an interview with ultra-Orthodox Mishpacha Magazine, Goldschmidt described the day Russia launched its invasion as "going to sleep in Moscow but waking up in Tehran."
After the outbreak of the war, the government made it clear that I should not speak out about it publicly. But when I saw the waves of Jewish refugees leaving Ukraine, I had no choice. I understood that it was a defining moment in history, and I wanted to be able to look into my grandchildren's eyes and tell them that I did the right thing, he told the paper.
After leaving Russia, Goldschmidt reportedly stayed in various capitals in Eastern Europe where he assisted Ukrainian Jews who fled the war.
On Thursday, he published an official statement announcing he was stepping down.
"I thank God that I had the opportunity to be part of the Jewish resurrection story after the fall of communism. This is a special time in the history of the Jewish people, and I will continue to serve the European community, and also serve and continue to help the community in Moscow from afar," he said.
"I could not remain silent, viewing so much human suffering, I went to assist the refugees in Eastern Europe and spoke out against the war. Sad as I am, in the circumstances, it is clearly in the interest of the future of the community that I now leave my post ... May God bless and protect the Moscow Jewish community."
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