On May 3, 2026 (16 Iyar 5786), the Assembly for the election of the Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova took place at the Jewish Community Center in Chisinau.
The Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova invited all rabbis of active synagogues from both banks of the Nistru River to participate. In accordance with the approved regulations, voting rights were granted exclusively to rabbis representing officially registered and active religious organizations in the Republic of Moldova.
The participants of the meeting were greeted by Alexander Bilinkis, President of the Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova and Vice President of the World Jewish Congress, as well as by Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of the Conference of European Rabbis.
Following the open vote, by majority decision of the active rabbis (5 out of 8 rabbis), Rabbi Menachem Mendel Axelrod was elected Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova.
The election of Rabbi Axelrod has already been welcomed through official messages from Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki, Chief Rabbi of Dnipro (Ukraine), Rabbi Sholom Shuchat, rabbinical judge and arbitrator of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States of America and Canada, Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal, representative of the Bet Din Zedek (rabbinical court) of Berlin (Germany), as well as by colleagues and members of the Administrative Council and the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova.
We congratulate Rabbi Mendel Axelrod on his election and wish him wisdom, strength, inspiration, and success in serving the Community, strengthening Jewish life, traditions, and the unity of the Jewish people in Moldova.
May this new chapter become a time of growth, mutual respect, spiritual development, and good deeds for our entire Community.
Mazal Tov!
