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03 November 2009, 14:12Rabbi Lazar urged to use creative potential of Russian diaspora for welfare of Russia
Moscow, November 3, Interfax – Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar urges to strengthen links with Russian-speaking compatriots abroad.
“Today, I believe it makes sense to use methods of cultural exchange to strengthen links with diaspora. Let young people from here go to Russian-speaking communities and young people and girls from diaspora come here on exchange,” the Rabbi said on Tuesday in Moscow at opening of the 3rd Russian World Assembly.
He is sure “it will make a unique human bridge for mutual understanding and give a fresh start to many joint projects in science, culture and even business.”
“Besides, it will be a human bridge between Russia and the world. Russian diaspora will help citizens of their countries to understand Russia better,” the Chief Rabbi stressed.
He also pointed out to the Jewish Russian-speaking diaspora, as he knew it “firsthand.”
“It consists of several million people living in dozens of countries in all continents. Many of these people, who left our country, said they would never come back. They didn’t see their place in the Soviet Union as then people were persecuted for their convictions, religion and nationality,” Lazar said.
According to him, in the USSR “it was impossible to bring up your children in the spirit of Jewry, to live in a community, to develop a national culture.”
“Thanks to God, everything has changed. Absolute majority of this diaspora are positive about Russia. Some want to come back forever, others seek to return for some time, while others are ready to participate in various projects launched in Russia. The reason is very simple, all these people are lacking Russian cultural atmosphere,” the Rabbi said and added that “not only elder generation of Russian-speaking Jews “continues speaking Russian at home.”
“They say there’s a second language in Israel, it’s Hebrew. The first one is Russian. They teach their children and grandchildren Russian. They are ready to do a lot to keep Russian spirituality even in the diaspora. They are educated people, great potential that is not a sin to use,” Lazar said.
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