Children of Russia’s and Odesa’s Chief Rabbis Marry in Israel Amid War

Rivka, the daughter of Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar, married Sholom Wolf, the son of Avraham Wolf, Chief Rabbi of Odesa and southern Ukraine on Wednesday, Feb. 12, Russian state media has reported.

The Moscow Jewish Community Center first announced the couple’s engagement in December 2024 via Telegram, offering congratulations and stating: “We wish the young couple the honor of building a strong and eternal Jewish home based on the Torah and mitzvot.”

The wedding ceremony was held in Israel, in the small town of Ma’ale Adumim, just east of Jerusalem. Several hundreds of guests are said to have attended, including representatives from both Russian and Ukrainian Jewish communities.

Musical entertainment was provided by Russian rapper Dzhigan, who performed the Hasidic song “No, There Is No One But God Alone” alongside rabbi and singer Mikhoel Stavropolsky. Dzhigan, originally from Odesa, is a vocal supporter of Russia and resides in Moscow.

Berl Lazar, a dual US-Russian citizen, has served as Chief Rabbi of Russia since 2000. He has 13 children—five sons and eight daughters.

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The Russian delegation brought a collective 76 years of high-level government service to the table in Riyadh compared to that of the US representatives whose experience was measured in weeks.

Lazar has not publicly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, at a January 2023 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he stated that the global Jewish community was “ready to do everything to find some peaceful solutions.”

Avraham Wolf has been Chief Rabbi of Odesa and southern Ukraine since 1998. Prior to that, he led the Jewish community in Kherson from 1992 to 1998. Today, he heads Odesa’s Shomrei Shabbos religious community.

Wolf, who holds Israeli citizenship, has said he intends to apply for a Ukrainian passport once the war ends. He and his wife are raising eight children.

The wedding has drawn varied reactions from Jewish communities in both Ukraine and Russia. According to the Ukrainian media outlet iz.com.ua, some Ukrainian Jewish leaders expressed concern that such events could create a false impression of reconciliation between the two nations.

Meanwhile, Russian media has attempted to portray the wedding as proof that deep cultural ties between the two countries remain intact despite the war, according to iz.com.ua, with analysts believing that the Kremlin will use the marriage for propaganda purposes saying it as evidence of cultural unity.

“In reality, this wedding represents personal choices of individual families rather than a broader shift in international relations,” the Ukrainian report said.