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Rabbi Menachem Mendel Axelrod Officially Inaugurated as Chief Rabbi of Moldova

A historic new chapter in Jewish life in Moldova was marked in Chisinau on Wednesday, as Rabbi Menachem Mendel Axelrod, Shliach of the Rebbe, was officially inaugurated as Chief Rabbi of Moldova at a moving ceremony attended by leading Rabbanim, government officials, Jewish community leaders and hundreds of members of the local community • Read More, Photos, Watch

A historic new chapter in Jewish life in Moldova was marked in Chisinau on Wednesday, as Rabbi Menachem Mendel Axelrod, a Shliach of the Rebbe, was officially installed as Chief Rabbi of Moldova at a moving ceremony attended by leading Rabbanim, government officials, Jewish community leaders and hundreds of members of the local community.

The ceremony was held at the Central Synagogue in Chisinau and was attended by Israel’s Chief Rabbi and President of the Chief Rabbinate Council, Rabbi Kalman Bar; Chief Rabbi of Romania Rabbi Rafael Schaffer; Chief Rabbi of the Netherlands and Shliach Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs; London Dayan Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Raskin; Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch; Rabbi Meir Stambler, Chairman of the Jewish Communities of Ukraine; Rabbi Shlomo Chaim Peles, a member of the leadership of the Jewish community in the former Soviet Union; Chief Rabbi of Southern Ukraine and Shliach Rabbi Avraham Wolff; Rabbi Dovid Nachshon; Chief Rabbi of Nof HaGalil Rabbi Menachem Mendel Nachshon; Rabbi Aryeh Goldberg, CEO of the Conference of European Rabbis; and Shluchim serving throughout Moldova, alongside government representatives and hundreds of community members.

Rabbi Axelrod, 36, was born and raised in Atlit, Israel, to Shluchim Rabbi Moshe and Mrs. Axelrod. He is the grandson of Rabbi Zalman Abelsky A”H, the renowned Shliach and former Chief Rabbi of Moldova, who was sent to the country by the Rebbe in 1989 and became its first Chief Rabbi following the fall of the Soviet Union.

Following Rabbi Abelsky’s passing approximately 12 years ago, Rabbi Axelrod was brought to Moldova to help fill the tremendous void left by his grandfather. Over the years, he became deeply involved in the Jewish life of the country, serving the thousands of local Jews as well as the many Jewish travelers who pass through Moldova each year on their way to the holy sites in Ukraine. In recent years, he had effectively served as the country’s rabbi; the new appointment now makes his position official.

The process leading to the appointment began approximately two months ago, when representatives of Moldova’s six Jewish communities gathered for a special election to choose the country’s next Chief Rabbi. Rabbi Axelrod was elected by a large majority, with the Moldovan authorities immediately recognizing the results.

A Presidential Welcome

Moldovan President Maia Sandu sent an official letter congratulating Rabbi Axelrod on his appointment, describing the occasion as a significant moment for both the Jewish community and the country as a whole.

“Your acceptance of this important mission is a source of joy for the Jewish community in our country, but also for society as a whole,” the president wrote, noting that the appointment comes after 12 years of Rabbi Axelrod’s activity in Moldova and after 12 years without a Chief Rabbi following the passing of Rabbi Abelsky.

President Sandu highlighted the centuries-long contribution of the Jewish community to Moldova’s cultural, economic, scientific and spiritual development and emphasized the country’s commitment to fighting antisemitism, xenophobia and intolerance.

Continuing a Family Legacy

The ceremony carried special significance because Rabbi Axelrod is continuing the legacy of his grandfather, Rabbi Zalman Abelsky, whose work transformed Jewish life in Moldova after decades of Communist persecution.

The event was opened by Shliach Rabbi Alexander Prochansky of Rishon LeZion, who shared memories of his childhood in Chisinau, including his own bris performed by Rabbi Abelsky with great mesirus nefesh. He also recalled how his father secretly brought matzah home from the only synagogue operating during the Communist era—the same synagogue where the installation ceremony was now taking place.

“My father said he had brought my grandmother special food because of her diet,” Rabbi Prochansky recalled. “He didn’t tell us that it was matzah, so that we wouldn’t tell our classmates at school and put the family at risk.”

He then invited Rabbi Zusha Abelsky, Rabbi Axelrod’s uncle and the son of Rabbi Zalman Abelsky, to address the gathering. Rabbi Zusha, who has led the Jewish community’s growth in Moldova since his father’s passing, delivered Birchas Kohanim and spoke about his father’s legacy.

He also highlighted the critical role Moldova’s Chabad community has played in recent years as a haven for tens of thousands of Jewish refugees who fled Ukraine following the outbreak of war. He recalled one refugee telling him, “Zusha, your Chabad House is our pillow.”

Rabbi Abelsky thanked the five families of Shluchim who live and operate throughout Moldova around the clock.

Jewish Community Chairman Alexander Blinkis also addressed the gathering, recalling his first visit to the synagogue as a 10-year-old boy.

“It was my first encounter with a world I did not know—the world of Judaism,” he said. “Rabbi Zalman Abelsky brought Judaism back to life here as a Shliach of the Rebbe of Lubavitch, and his grandson, the new Chief Rabbi, is continuing in his path.”

“From Darkness Comes a Great Light”

Israel’s new Ambassador to Moldova, Yoram Elron, congratulated Rabbi Axelrod on behalf of Israel’s Foreign Ministry. He praised the new Chief Rabbi’s work and the family’s long-standing rabbinic legacy in Moldova, adding that he had personally witnessed Rabbi Axelrod’s dedication. He also praised Chabad’s decades of activity in the country, saying that it “gives life to the Jews of Moldova.”

The central address of the evening was delivered by Israel’s Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Kalman Bar, who began by praising Rabbi Moshe Axelrod, Rabbi Menachem Mendel’s father, saying that he had the privilege of bringing his son’s light into the world.

Rabbi Bar drew a powerful comparison between Chisinau and Radin, the town made famous in Jewish history by the Chofetz Chaim.

“From today, Chisinau will be remembered in the Jewish world not because of the Kishinev pogroms, but because of Rabbi Axelrod, whose name will become known throughout the Jewish world,” he said.

Speaking on the timing of the ceremony, which took place on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul, Rabbi Ber connected the occasion to the renewal represented by Rosh Chodesh.

“After darkness comes a great light,” he declared. “That is exactly what is happening here. After years of cruel disconnection, pogroms, Nazis and Communists—the light of Judaism is shining again.”

Rabbi Bar recalled speaking at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate on Chanukah in the presence of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, where he spoke about being a second-generation Holocaust survivor.

“My father’s entire family was murdered in the Holocaust. I had no uncles, no grandfather and no grandmother,” he said. “But when the Jewish people live—and live according to Torah—we win. We don’t celebrate our victory with a display of weapons. We celebrate it by adding light.”

“Today, here in Moldova, we are lighting a great light. Rabbi Axelrod should merit to continue illuminating the Jewish light here in Moldova. That is our true victory over all the pogroms that took place here in Chisinau.”

The Moment of Installation

The emotional climax came with the formal installation itself. Rabbi Moshe Axelrod, father of the new Chief Rabbi, joined Rabbi Kalman Bar and Rabbi Meir Stambler, who brought greetings from the Jewish communities of Ukraine, in helping Rabbi Menachem Mendel Axelrod don his Tallis.

As he wrapped himself in the Tallis, Rabbi Axelrod recited the Shehecheyanu blessing with great emotion. Many in attendance were visibly moved to tears during the historic moment, marking an occasion unlike anything seen in Moldova in decades.

Rabbi Axelrod, who studied at the Tomchei Temimim yeshivos in Lod and Be’er Sheva, received rabbinic ordination from the Lemaan Yilmedu rabbinic certification organization, whose certifications are signed by leading Rabbanim including Rabbi Eliyahu Yochanan Guraryeh, Chief Rabbi of Holon; Rabbi Chaim Shlomo Diskin, Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Ata; and Rabbi Chaim Yosef Ginzburg of Ramat Aviv. He was also certified in arranging chuppah and kiddushin by former Chief Rabbi Rabbi Yona Metzger.

In his first address as Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Axelrod spoke of the tremendous responsibility he feels with the new role, while expressing his determination to carry out the mission entrusted to him.

“I am deeply moved by the great responsibility placed upon my shoulders,” he said. “At the same time, I am ready for this important mission and will do everything I can to bring the light of Judaism to every Jewish home.”

“We will bring Geulah to every Jewish home, until we merit, with Hashem’s help, the true and complete Geulah,” he concluded.