Jews have historically played a role in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast's Jewish community,
historical narrative and
government. In 2004
Chief Rabbi of
Russia Berel Lazar took part in the 70th anniversary celebration for the Jewish Autonomous Oblast.
Rabbi Lazar and
Avraham Berkowitz, the Executive Director of the
Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS, led a delegation to
Birobidzhan for the event. Local Jewish Community leaders;
Mayor Alexander Vinnikov, Lev Toitman and Valery Solomonovich Gurevich also participated in the opening of the
Birobidzhan Synagogue, which marked the 70th anniversary of the region. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070929092750/http://www.fjc.ru/communities/CityLeader.asp?AID=98714 Rabbi Mordechai Scheiner, the Chief Rabbi of Birobidzhan and
Chabad Lubavitch representative to the region, said "Today one can enjoy the benefits of the
Yiddish culture and not be afraid to return to their Jewish traditions. Its safe without any
Anti-Semitism and we plan to open the first
Jewish day school here". [http://www.fjc.ru/news/newsArticle.asp?AID=166969 Concerning the Jewish Community of the
oblast, Governor
Nikolay Mikhaylovich Volkov has stated that he intends to, "support every valuable initiative maintained by our local Jewish organizations." ==Jewish leaders of the JAO==