A special meeting was held in Pyatigorsk city, where Yuri Chaika, the government’s representative in the Caucasus, met with the Rabbis and community leaders of the North Caucasus Federal District of Russia.

The Caucasus region, which borders between Europe and Asia and stretches as far as Turkey and Iran, is home to Europe’s tallest mountain and is known for its diverse languages and rich Jewish history. Since the rebirth of Russian Jewry in the district about twenty years ago, the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Berel Lazar, has sent Rabbis and emissaries to serve in its big cities and established Jewish communities under the Federation of Jewish Communities in Russia.

Since his appointment as the Kremlin’s representative for all matters of the Caucasus, Yuri Chaika, who previously served as Russia’s Chief Attorney, requested to meet with the Rabbis and Community Leaders in order to hear from them about their needs.

The meeting, which was held in his office, was attended by Jewish community leaders in the Caucasus, including Rabbis and Chabad emissaries such as Rabbi Levi Shubayev from Nalchik, Rabbi Ovadya Isakov from Derbent, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Friedman from Stavropol and Rabbi Akiva Chudainatov from Kislovodsk.

During the conversation, Rabbi Ovadya Isakov shared the details of his miraculous survival after a terrorist from nearby Chechnya ambushed him near his home in Dagestan. Mr. Chaika was clearly moved by the story and praised the Jewish activities carried out in the entire Caucasian region, noting that their peaceful manners with all religions were an example for other communities in helping others. In conclusion, he presented the Rabbis with certificates of appreciation in the name of the region’s general population for their dedication.

Photography: Office of the President of the Caucasus