Thousands Explore Jewish Life At International Moscow Book Fair

The 17th International Book Fair in Moscow came to a close today after giving some 10,000 Jews the opportunity to peruse books of Jewish interest.

Memories of a time in the Former Soviet Union when a siddur was a forbidden posession and book censorship was de riguer, are still fresh in the minds of Russia’s denizens. So the chance to leaf through and purchase from among thousands of titles on Jewish and Judaism-related publications, at a state-sponsored book fair, was a privilege not lost on Russia’s Jews.

The Jewish exhibit–noticeable for the Talit, the prayer shawl, which draped the book stalls featuring literature from dozens of Jewish/Russian publishing houses–was by far the largest from among the exhibits representing 81 countries. “It was an ideal opportunity for Jewish people to explore a rich selection of Jewish texts, Torah and rabbinic literature that is now available to them in Russian,” says Rabbi Shmuel Kuperman, a Chabad representative in Moscow who was involved in the book fair.

“It was also a great opportunity for Jews to explore Judaism by speaking with representatives from the various publishing houses, and learn about Jewish life and Jewish tradtion,” he says.

One of the few personalities invited to speak at the Book Fair’s opening ceremony was Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar. Reflecting on the Jewish people’s longstanding relationship with the written word, its love for knowledge and study, he said, “The Jewish people are known as the People of The Book, and have taken its inspiration, moral and aesthetic, from the timeless words of the Torah.”

Renowned Israeli novelist A.B. Yehoshua also spoke at the opening session, and later visited with Chabad representatives at the Marina Roscha Shul, where he participated in the opening of a Jewish book store.

The Book Fair encompassed a wide range of discussions, press conferences, art exhibits and concerts of Jewish music–sponsored in large part by the Avi Chai Foundation, and intended to give Moscow’s Jewish population greater exposure to Jewish life and culture.