In the winter of 2025, the Russian-speaking Israeli internet segment was stirred by an event that, in a prior life before February 24, 2022, would have largely gone unnoticed. This was the wedding of Rivka, daughter of the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Berel Lazar, and Sholem, son of the Chief Rabbi of Odesa, Ukraine, Avraham Wolff.
While the wedding, attended by around 200 guests from both Russia and Ukraine, quickly faded from the headlines, what remains is the ongoing tragedy experienced by Ukrainian citizens and the Jewish community amidst the war. Together with Professor of Sociology Ze'ev Khanin, Academic Director of the Institute for Euro-Asian Jewish Studies, we examine the state of Jewish communities in Russia and Ukraine as they navigate this profound rift and crisis.
