Hundreds of community members, guests, rabbis, and public figures gathered in Naberezhnye Chelny, the second-largest city in the Republic of Tatarstan, for the inauguration of a new Jewish Community Center and synagogue. The city, widely known as one of Russia’s major automotive hubs and home to the KAMAZ industrial giant, is marking its 400th anniversary this year alongside the 50th anniversary of the first KAMAZ truck, adding special significance to the opening of the new center.
The impressive two-story complex, located in the heart of the city, includes a spacious prayer hall, a Jewish library, an events hall, and a community kitchen. The inauguration ceremony was led by Russia’s Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Berel Lazar, who affixed the mezuzahs at the entrances and later wrote the first letter in a new Torah scroll that will be donated to the community.
Following the ceremony, participants gathered outside the center for the laying of the cornerstone of a future mikvah, which will further strengthen the spiritual infrastructure available to Jewish families throughout the region.
At the center of the celebration stood the moving personal story of the city’s young Rabbi and Chabad emissary, Rabbi Chaim David Paer. As an 11-year-old boy in Kazan, Rabbi Paer first entered the local synagogue to say Kaddish for his late father. There, he was warmly received and guided by Rabbi Yitzchak Gorelik, Chief Rabbi of Kazan and the Republic of Tatarstan.
That encounter opened the door to his growing connection with Jewish life, eventually leading him to study in Tomchei Tmimim yeshivot in Moscow and Israel and to receive rabbinical ordination. With the encouragement and blessing of Rabbi Lazar, Rabbi Paer returned to his native republic to lead and expand Jewish life in Naberezhnye Chelny.
The ceremony was attended by an honored delegation of public officials and community leaders, including Mayor Nail Magdeev; President of the Russian Jewish Congress, Mr. Alexander Gensis; members of the Weiner family, whose generosity helped make the project possible; and many friends of the community. Participating rabbis and emissaries included Rabbi Shevach Zlatopolsky of Almaty, Kazakhstan; Rabbi Dan Krichevsky, Chief Rabbi of the Republic of Bashkortostan and the city of Ufa; Rabbi Meir Kirsch, Chief Rabbi of Chelyabinsk; Rabbi Shalom Lazar, Chief Rabbi of Sochi; FJC CEO Rabbi David Mondshine; Rabbi Mendel Mondshine, director of the Russian Shluchim Office; Rabbi Yitzchak Waldorsky of Moscow’s Zhulebino district; Rabbi Meir Fedorov of the Mesivta educational institution in Moscow; Rabbi Nissan Pil of the Yeshiva Gedolah in Moscow; and sofer Rabbi Ephraim Cohen. Representatives of other faiths and many friends of the Jewish community also took part.
In his address, Rabbi Lazar spoke about the verse “They shall make for Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell within them,” explaining that the purpose of a holy place is not only to create a physical home for prayer and Torah, but to reveal and strengthen the Divine presence within every Jewish heart. He also expressed deep appreciation for the exceptional support extended by the leadership of the Republic of Tatarstan, noting that the backing given to the project reflects a meaningful spirit of respect, friendship, and cooperation in a region known for its diverse population.
With its doors now open, the new Jewish center is set to become a vibrant home for prayer, study, community gatherings, humanitarian activity, and Jewish life for Jews in Naberezhnye Chelny and the surrounding region, continuing the steady growth of the community for generations to come.
Photo: Egor Sukhov
