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The honorable Rabbi Berl Lazar, Chief Rabbi of Russia,
My friend Lev Leviev, President of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Russia,
The honorable Ambassador of Israel to Russia, our ingenious friend, Arkadi Milman,
The honorable Chairman of the Jewish Agency and the World Zionist Organization, my friend Ze'ev Bielski,
Knesset Members Marina Solodkin, Ze'ev Alkin and Meir Porush,
My friend Gennady Tarasov, Russian Ambassador to Israel,
And last but not least, with us here today – dear to us all – are the parents and wife of IDF hero Udi Goldwasser.
I want to tell you, the Goldwasser family, on my behalf, on behalf of the Government of Israel, on behalf of the people of Israel, on behalf of all good Jews, friends of Israel, friends of the Land of Israel and people of Israel, who are here representing a vast network of Jewish communities from Russia and the former Soviet Union – we all pray for the safety of Udi, Eldad and Gilad, and we will do everything in our power to bring them home quickly – safe and sound.
In all my talks here, with the Russian President and everyone else, we never forgot to mention our children. At every opportunity, every meeting, every conversation with anyone who can have any influence on our boys' returning home, we mention them. We think about you all the time. We know the deep pain and anxiety and ongoing prayer with which you travel from place to place to remind all those who want, and even those who may prefer not to remember, that for us the mission is not over until our boys are home!
Dear friends,
This is the third time that I have had the honor of visiting this large and important center of Jewish community in Moscow. It is not the only center that I have visited throughout Moscow. I was at a number of such centers throughout this gigantic state. They were all founded and are all financed and maintained primarily by one person – one person who considers these centers to be his greatest mission here on earth. This man is an exceptional Jew and his name is Lev Leviev.
Today Lev Leviev is no longer alone because there are Jewish institutes – the Jewish Agency, Jewish organizations throughout the world, in the United States and other countries – which substantially assist in this activity and help in the financing, organization, recruitment and placement of emissaries throughout Russia. However, the person who has taken this responsibility upon himself personally and individually – not at the expense of the public but at his own expense – and considered it to be an historic mission, fulfilling the vision of the Lubavitcher Rabbi, a person who sees himself as the messenger of the Rabbi is – and has been for many years – this man: Lev Leviev.
You know that Lev Leviev is a businessman, and I believe – quite a successful one, not only in Israeli terms but in global terms. He has numerous economic achievements. If he hadn't, he could not have made such a significant contribution. Throughout all the years that I have spoken to him about his economic achievements, Lev Leviev has said to me: my economic achievements are not a purpose in itself. The only reason I have economic achievements is so that I can provide Jewish education to Jewish children in Samara, Odessa, Lithuania, Moscow, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Siberia and everywhere throughout this vast continent where there are Jews. Therefore, I wish him many economic achievements because the greater his economic achievements are, the more Jewish children receive Jewish education, thank G-d.
One could not have witnessed such impressive Jewish prosperity had it not been for the friendship, openness and help provided by the Russian government at all levels, under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin. I salute the President of Russia Vladimir Putin for his friendly policy, assistance to and embrace of Jews living in Russia.
We have a small problem here and I need to speak about it openly. On the one hand, there is a very friendly President who embraces the Jews of Russia. On the other hand, there are Jewish institutes, international Jewish organizations and the Jewish Agency. Moreover – and primarily – there is Lev Leviev. It is so good that the Jews stay in Russia. But there is nothing we want more than for all of you to ultimately come home, and home is our Jerusalem – united – in the land of Israel.
I would also like to mention your Mayor. I know him well. He is a great friend of ours – Mayor Yuri Lushkov. Yuri Lushkov is a friend of Israel, a friend of the Jewish people and a friend of Jerusalem, and he has been with us even at other times when it was not so obvious that one can be a friend to the State of Israel. I deeply appreciate it and thank him very much.
I congratulate the representatives of the communities who traveled great distances to be here. Nothing warms my heart more, nothing brings me greater joy than seeing such beautiful and proud Jewish youngsters who come from Russia and the former Soviet Union, and are all proud of their Jewish origin and are free and happy to express their love for the State of Israel. I know that you are happy where you are, and we have great respect for this country and all the countries in which you live and we appreciate the friendship shown to the Jewish communities by the authorities. At the same time, the thing we want, pray for and yearn for most is for you to come home. I promise you one thing: it is not easy in Israel, it is not easy. We are not a simple country, as you know. There are problems, there are wars sometimes, there are dangers sometimes and sometimes when Jews come they are asked all kinds of questions that they were not asked here in Russia. We will help you solve all these problems. We will make a tremendous effort to make your life in Israel as good, easy, safe and happy as it can be. However, the most important thing is that when you come to us you will be home, and we want all of you – all of you – from all places, after you have received the best education which Lev Leviev, Rabbi Lazar, the Jewish Agency and the Russian government help you to receive, to pack your bags, come home and we will all live together in the State and Land of Israel.
May we all have a good, healthy, happy and safe new year.
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