Berel Lazar - Biography

Biography

A native of Milan, Italy, Rabbi Lazar was born in 1964 to parents who were among the first emissaries of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Until the age of 15, he studied in Milan’s Merkaz Jewish Day School. Afterwards, he went on to study in New York and pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in religious studies at the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of 23, he was ordained at the Central Lubavitch Yeshiva in New York.

Since 1990 Berel Lazar has been Rabbi of the synagogue in Maryina Roshcha District of Moscow.

In 1992 Lazar became acquainted with Israeli diamantaire Lev Leviev, who introduced him to Russian businessmen Boris Berezovsky and Roman Abramovich. The latter became the major benefactor of the synagogue in Maryina Roshcha.

In 1992, Lazar was appointed chairman of the Rabbinical Alliance of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

In early 1990s Lazar participated in activity of Congress of the Jewish Religious Organizations and Associations in Russia, was an active participant of founding congress of Russian Jewish Congress in 1996 and even was a member of RJC Presidium.

In 1997 he helped establish the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS representing Chabad communities in 15 countries of the former Soviet Union.

At the first congress of Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia opened on November 15, 1999 he was elected chief Rabbi of FJCR. According to many analytics, FJCR structure was created as counterbalance to the Russian Jewish Congress (headed by Vladimir Gusinsky) and CJROAR (chief Rabbi — Adolf Shayevich). In the same month Berel Lazar had his first meeting with Vladimir Putin.

He wasn't at Vladimir Putin's inauguration in May 2000, what apparently was related to the fact he wasn't citizen of Russia at the moment.

On May 29, 2000 Berel Lazar became citizen of Russia, while retaining U.S. citizenship.

On June 13, 2000 at the "all-Jews congress" (of 87 communities at the place, 70 represented FJCR, 4 — CJROAR, the rest — Federation of Jewish Organizations and Communities of Russia (Va’ad)) 25 of 26 Rabbis elected Berel Lazar Chief Rabbi of Russia.

On September 18, 2000, in presence of President of Russia Vladimir Putin, the Moscow Jewish Community Center was opened in Maryina Roshcha District, where on December 21, 2000 Vladimir Putin and Moscow major Yury Luzhkov lit Hanukkah candles.

In 2000, Berel Lazar was appointed to Russia's Council for Coordination of Religious Associations. In 2002, Lazar was elected Chairman of the Rabbinical Council of the World Congress of Russian Jewry.

On January 23, 2001 he took place in official meeting with President of Israel Moshe Katsav in the Kremlin.

On March 20, 2001 under instruction of the President Vladimir Putin Berel Lazar was included in the Presidential Council for Interaction with Religious Organizations and Unions; simultaneously Shayevich was excluded from the Council.

According to both the Russian government and the Federation of Jewish Communities he is the Chief Rabbi of Russia.