The Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova marked an important milestone in the country’s Jewish life with the official inauguration of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Axelrod as Chief Rabbi of the Republic of Moldova. The ceremony brought together senior rabbinic leaders from Israel and across the world, representatives of Moldovan public authorities, the diplomatic corps, Jewish organizations and members of the community.
Among the distinguished international guests was Rabbi Kalman Meir Ber, Chief Rabbi of Israel, whose participation gave particular significance to the occasion. Other rabbinic leaders attending included Rabbi B. Jacobs, Chief Rabbi of the Netherlands; Rabbi R. Shaffer, Chief Rabbi of Romania; Rabbi A. Wolff, Chief Rabbi of Odessa; Rabbi L. Y. Raskin, member of the Beit Din of Kedassia in London; Rabbi Meir Stambler, Chairman of the Federation Council of Ukraine; Rabbi Menachem M. Kotlarsky, from the Chabad World Headquarters; Rabbi Glitzenstein, Chief Rabbi of Chernivtsi ; Rabbi Dov Axelrod, Chief Rabbi of Cherkassy; Rabbi M. Weber, Chairman of Kollel Torah in Ukraine; Rabbi S.Peles, Director of Ohr Avner Foundation; Rabbi Dovid Nachshon, Director of “Mitzvah Tank office” Israel; and Rabbi A, Goldberg, Director of the Rabbinical Center of Europe , alongside other prominent rabbis and Jewish communal leaders.
Ahead of the inauguration ceremony, at the invitation of the President of the Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova Alexander Bilinkis and Rabbi Zushe Abelsky Chairman of Chabad Institutions in the country, the Chief Rabbi of Israel Kalman Ber visited the Jewish Community Center in Chișinău, where he had the opportunity to become acquainted with Jewish communal life in Moldova, the institutions and activities serving the community. His visit underscored the close connection between the Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova and Jewish religious and communal leadership in Israel and internationally, while placing the inauguration within the broader context of the continuing revival and development of Jewish life in Moldova.
The central event of the day was the formal inauguration of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Axelrod, entrusted with serving as the spiritual leader of the Jewish community throughout the Republic of Moldova at the main synagogue of Chisinau Chabad. The ceremony included prayers, the reading of the Rebbe’s letter, speeches by Alexander Bilinkis, President of the Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova, Simcha Buzhor, President of Chabad Lubavitch Moldova, Rabbi Kalman Ber, Chief Rabbi of Israel and HE Yoram Elron, Ambassador of the State of Israel to the Republic of Moldova, video message by Rabbi S. Kaminetsky, Chief Rabbi of the city of Dnipro followed by the reading of the official appointment letter, the inauguration itself and an address by Rabbi Axelrod as Chief Rabbi of Moldova.
H.E. Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova, conveyed a message of congratulations on the occasion of the event, in which she noted that the appointment of a Chief Rabbi, the first in twelve years, holds profound significance for the Jewish Community and for Moldovan society at large. President Sandu mentioned the centuries-old bond between Moldova’s history and that of its Jewish community, and reaffirmed the openness to fostering mutual respect and interfaith dialogue in the country.
Addressing the ceremony, Alexander Bilinkis emphasized that the inauguration represents much more than an official appointment. He described it as a day of “responsibility,” “continuity” and “great hopes”, rooted in the centuries-long history of Jewish life on the territory of Moldova and in the revival of Jewish traditions, education, religious life and historical memory after decades of restrictions.
He stressed that the Chief Rabbi’s mission extends beyond religious functions. In a diverse Jewish community encompassing various generations, levels of religious observance and organisations across the country on both banks of Nistru, the Chief Rabbi is called upon to serve as a spiritual leader capable of bringing people together and making Jewish tradition accessible to new generations.
The role also carries a broader public responsibility. In Moldova’s multiethnic and multiconfessional society, the Jewish Community sees the Chief Rabbi as an important voice in dialogue with other religious communities, state institutions, educational and cultural organizations, the diplomatic corps and international partners, as well as in efforts to preserve synagogues, places of memory, cemeteries and other elements of Moldova’s Jewish heritage.
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Axelrod has been closely connected with Jewish life in Moldova for more than a decade. The inauguration represents both a recognition of Rabbi Axelrod’s years of service and the beginning of a new stage in the development of Jewish religious and communal life in Moldova — one focused on strengthening Jewish identity, preserving heritage, supporting communities throughout the country, educating younger generations and building bridges within Moldovan society and with Jewish communities around the world.
