Its in the news

http://lubavitch.com/news/article/2025734/Russia-s-President-Medvedev-Government-Should-Not-Interfere-With-Religious-Life.html from Lubavitch.com and they naturally spelled my name wrong...

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=5794 Interfax religion got it right, at least.

At the end of last week, I got an email from an ex-Stavropolian living in Israel. He passed along the original letter sent to the authorities (and I have no idea how he got it).

The letter is from someone on the board (although I'm pretty sure most of the board doesn't know about it) to Shnyukov, the head of religion in Stavropol region.

Here is a free translation:

Dear Vasili Vladimirovich,

The Stavropol religious community "Shalom" asks for your assistance in deporting Zvi Hershcovich from Stavropol territory. He arrived as Rabbi to the city contrary to what the voted community leaders wanted, and the invitation for a Rabbi to join a community should come from the community itself.

In spite of the fact that "Shalom" was vigorously against having a Rabbi in our city, and has written many times to the Federation in Moscow, and in spite of the fact that no official invitation came from the community in Stavropol, Zvi Hershcovich still arrived and is currently in our city.

Zvi does not have visas with the sanction to conduct religious activity in our country. He is a representative of an ultra-orthodox branch of Judaism. After he arrived in Stavropol, he immediately brought about a split in the community.

He has said that he is against assimilation of Jews, against mixed marriages, and that we mujst keep the Jewish nation "clean", and only people whose mothers are Jewish (Halachic Jews) can be accepted as part of the community. Others have no right to call themselves Jews. He divided the community into two classes. For us, who have been brought up in the USSR and Russia and who know that all people have equal rights, and it isn't dependant on national identity and religious beliefs.

Zvi Hershcovich also believes in a revival of fascism and nationalism. As of now, most of the community are Jws from mixed marriages, and now we all feel different.

The Rabbi wants to organize a religious school for children in the community, but only for 'thoroughbred Jews', and only his orthodox Judaism. This in turn would mean that a new generation of nationalists would be raised.

Before Zvi hershcovich arrived when we gathered for traditional Jewish holidays we had 200-300 participants, including people from other cities. Now the number has dropped to 20-50 people.

Before he arrived the community received funding from the Federation in Moscow. All money was accounted for, and the expenditure was upon the advice of the community. Now the president of the community must write up a list of what and how he will spend the money and send it to Moscow. Moscow will then give the money to the Rabbi who spends it at his own discretion.

The community doesn't take a cut of the money, and is unable to control the incoming amount. Thus, all money obtained is unaccounted for, and the Rabbi spends it satisfying his personal interests and ignoring the needs of the community, ignoring demands of accountability from the president of the community. There are financial irregularities, which has created an opportunity for the Rabbi to do financial fraud.

Based on all the above, I ask you to deal with the legality of the Canadian in Russian territory, and to take all necessary measures for expulsion from the city of Stavropol.

Sincerely,

Representative of the Russian Jewish Congress in Stavropol,
Oleg Pushkantser




Wow. Just wow.