A native of
Milan,
Italy, Lazar was born in 1964 to parents who were among the first
emissaries of Rabbi
Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Until the age of 15, he studied in Milan’s
Merkaz Jewish Day School. Afterwards, he went on to study in New York and pursued a
Bachelor of Arts degree in religious studies at the
Rabbinical College of America in
Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of 23, he was ordained at the
Central Lubavitch Yeshiva in New York City. Since 1990 Lazar has been rabbi of the synagogue in
Maryina roshcha District of Moscow. In 1992 Lazar became acquainted with Israeli diamantaire
Lev Leviev, who introduced him to
Russian businessmen
Boris Berezovsky and
Roman Abramovich. The latter became the major benefactor of the synagogue in Maryina roshcha. In 1992, Lazar was appointed chairman of the Rabbinical Alliance of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). In early 1990s Lazar participated in activity of
Congress of the Jewish Religious Organizations and Associations in Russia (CJROAR), was an active participant of founding congress of
Russian Jewish Congress in 1996 and even was a member of RJC Presidium. In 1997 he helped establish the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS representing Chabad communities in 15 countries of the former
Soviet Union. At the first congress of
Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FJCR) opened on November 15, 1999 he was elected chief Rabbi of FJCR. According to many analytics, FJCR structure was created as counterbalance to the
Russian Jewish Congress (headed by
Vladimir Gusinsky) and CJROAR (chief Rabbi —
Adolf Shayevich). In the same month Lazar had his first meeting with
Vladimir Putin. On May 29, 2000 Berel Lazar became a citizen of Russia, while retaining his U.S. citizenship. On June 13, 2000, 25 rabbis of the FJCR elected Lazar as Chief Rabbi of Russia, deepening a conflict with mainstream Orthodox and Reform Jewish groups in Russia that continued to recognize
Adolf Shayevich as Chief Rabbi. Shayevich accused the
Kremlin of meddling in internal Jewish affairs and favoring FJCR over the
Vladimir Gusinsky-funded
Russian Jewish Congress as the umbrella group of Russia's Jews. Gusinsky was arrested earlier in the month and seen as a business rival to Kremlin insiders. Chief Rabbi of Moscow
Pinchas Goldschmidt stated that his community would not recognize Lazar's election. Mikhail Chlenov, head of the Va'ad umbrella organization stated that Lazar's election meant that he was only elected Chief Chabad Rabbi in Russia. On September 18, 2000, in the presence of President of Russia Vladimir Putin, the Moscow Jewish Community Center was opened in Maryina Roshcha District, where on December 21, 2000 Vladimir Putin and Moscow mayor
Yury Luzhkov lit
Hanukkah candles. In 2000, Lazar was appointed to Russia's Council for Coordination of Religious Associations. In 2002, Lazar was elected the Chairman of the Rabbinical Council of the
World Congress of Russian Jewry. On January 23, 2001 he participated in the official meeting with President of
Israel Moshe Katsav in the
Kremlin. On March 20, 2001 under instruction of the President Vladimir Putin, Lazar was included in the Presidential Council for Interaction with Religious Organizations and Unions; simultaneously
Shayevich was excluded from the Council. According to both the Russian government and Federation of Jewish Communities, he is the Chief Rabbi of Russia. == Views ==