All news

Russian Jewish community shocked by attack on rabbi in Dagestan

The Federation of Jewish Communities is organizing the dispatch of a medical plane with Israeli specialists on board, who will offer medical aid to the injured rabbi
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, July 25 (Itar-Tass) - Irrespective of the motives prompting a criminal to wound a rabbi in Dagestan’s city of Derbent, this attack is aimed against all religious people who want a peaceful life in Dagestan, the head of the public relations department at the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, Borukh Gorin, told Tass on Thursday.

“The Jewish community of Russia is shocked by a villainous crime,” he said. “A clever, kind and talented rabbi returned from Moscow where he had studied back to his home city to bring the good and light to the people. We are confident that no matter who this mean criminal could be, it was the good and light that he was directing his bullets at,” Borukh Gorin said.

He said the Federation of Jewish Communities is organizing the dispatch of a medical plane with Israeli specialists on board, who will offer medical aid to the injured rabbi.

An attempt on the life of Rabbi Ovadia Isakov was made overnight to Thursday in Derbent. He was rushed to hospital with gunshot wounds.

Criminal proceedings have been instituted under “murder attempt” and “ammunition trafficking” articles of the Russian Criminal Code.

Sources from the regional department of the Russian Investigative Committee told Tass that the Isakov’s religious activity could be the motive behind the attack.