Berel Lazar

Rabbi
Berel Lazar
Lazar in April 2021
Personal
Born (1964-05-19) May 19, 1964 (age 60)
ReligionJudaism
NationalityRussian, American
SpouseChanna Deren
Children13: Bluma, Yechezkel, Mendel, Sholom, Fradel, Yisrael, Levi Yitzchak, Leah, Sara, Bracha, Rivka, Miriam, Shaina
DenominationHasidic Judaism
Alma materRabbinical College of America
PositionChief Rabbi of Russia
OrganisationFederation of Jewish Communities of Russia
BeganJune 13, 2000
DynastyChabad Lubavitch

Shlomo Dov Pinchas Lazar (born May 19, 1964), better known as Berel Lazar, is an Orthodox, Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic rabbi. He began his service in Russia in 1990. Known for his friendship with Vladimir Putin, since 2000, he has been a Chief Rabbi of Russia (one of two claimants to the title), and chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia and Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS. In September 2005 Lazar became a member of the Public Chamber of Russia. Because of his connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin he is sometimes called "Putin's rabbi."[1][2]

  1. ^ https://www.timesofisrael.com/ukraine-invasion-puts-chabad-of-russia-between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place: "Berel Lazar — a Chabad rabbi whose ties to Russia’s bellicose president has earned him the derisive moniker “Putin’s rabbi.”
  2. ^ https://www.jta.org/2015/06/04/global/a-russian-chief-rabbi-stands-by-his-strongman-a-k-a-putin: "Lazar’s work, his Russia boosterism and his ties to the Kremlin — he is sometimes called “Putin’s rabbi” "