Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar. Putin that that the government would help to revive Jewish communities. Lazar told the president about a Jewish congress which is now under way in Moscow. He said that Jewish life in Russia was developing in a good manner. Putin praised the Jewish Community Federation’s aim to bringing Russian Jews “closer to the national culture”. In his written statement, he stressed that "only together will we be able to resolve successfully the most difficult problems of Russia's efficient development, repulse international terrorism and fight against manifestations of xenophobia and anti-Semitism".
However, Lazar made it clear that the damage inflicted on religious organizations in Soviet times was still present. He described the problem of “self-identification" as the main problem for Russian Jews.
