American Rabbi Conducts Moscow Service

MOSCOW —  An American rabbi conducted services at Moscow’s Great Choral Synagogue on Friday night, and Soviet Jews described the gathering as the largest there in years.

“To stand where I did in the pulpit in Moscow synagogue was a great honor,” said Rabbi Robert Rothman, 56, of the Rye Community Synagogue in Rye, N.Y.

Rothman, in Moscow for the International Book Fair this week, said he was invited by the rabbi of the congregation, Rabbi A. Shaevitch.

Rothman explained that he was the first Reform rabbi to conduct a service at the Czarist-era synagogue in the center of Moscow.

“We have not had such a crowd in years, years,” said a 64-year-old man, at a discussion outside the synagogue. “At least 10 times as many as we usually have. It was packed.”

Rothman was allowed to conduct the Sabbath service as an official gesture by the Soviets during the book fair, and the visiting rabbi devoted his sermon to the role of the book for mankind.