Menachem Mendel Axelrod inaugurated as Chief Rabbi of Moldova

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Axelrod has been formally inaugurated as the Chief Rabbi of the Republic of Moldova. The installation ceremony took place at the Glazers’ Synagogue in Chișinău, marking the first time in twelve years that the country has had an officially recognized Chief Rabbi.

Rabbi Axelrod was selected by a majority vote of the heads of six Jewish communities across Moldova. He succeeds the legacy of his grandfather, Rabbi Zalman Abelsky, who served as the country’s first Chief Rabbi following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Axelrod has been an active leader within the Moldovan Jewish community for over a decade.

The ceremony was attended by various international and local figures, including Israel’s Chief Rabbi Kalman Ber. Moldovan President Maia Sandu also issued a congratulatory message, noting that the history of the Republic of Moldova is “inextricably linked to the history of the Jewish community” and expressing support for the community’s role in the nation’s development.