Rabbi Pinkhas Goldstein said that due to his father’s illness, he was forced to step down from his duties as Chief Rabbi of Moscow, appointing Rabbi David Yushuvaev in his place. The reason for this is the illness of the father.
According to the newspaper “Israel a-Yom”, Goldstein is in Israel, where his father was hospitalized. The rabbi told the publication that only the Almighty knows when he will be able to return to Russia. At the same time, he said that he continues to head the Rabbinate Court of the CIS and Baltic states.
He stressed that he remains in touch with the Jewish community of the Russian capital both via WhatsApp and by phone and will be happy to help in any situation. The rabbi expresses confidence that he will soon be reunited with the Moscow community.
It should be noted that social networks were quick to link the departure of an influential religious figure with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, there is no official confirmation of this information.