By COLlive reporter
Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a public visit to the city of Sevastopol on Monday to mark the fifth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
Visiting the Black Sea peninsula, Putin met with local residents and veterans at the historical memorial the Malakhov Kurgan and held a televised meeting with local officials and faith leaders.
Seated in the front row was Rabbi Binyomin Wolff, a Chabad Shliach who leads the Jewish Community of Sevastopol, who has recently received Russian citizenship.
Rabbi Wolff said at the meeting that the construction of a synagogue and a Jewish community center at the site of a 1941 massacre of Jews in the city was nearing completion.
He invited Putin to its grand opening. Putin thanked him for the invitation and suggested inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the inauguration as well.
Rabbi Wolff commented: “I think we will be able to finish building the synagogue by the end of the year, but right now there is a delay due to financing issues. I think they will be solved.”
Hearing that, Putin quipped: “Jews have problems with finances… This is only possible in Crimea.” He then added in Hebrew “Toda Raba” (thank you very much).
Rabbi Wolff took the comment in good humor. “The president was joking,” he later said. “I thanked him for all that he has done for the development of the Jewish community in Sevastopol.”
This is not the first time Putin attempted to make jokes involving Jewish people, the Jerusalem Post noted. In 2017, he told a joke about an Israeli soldier:
Anyone heard the “Toda Rabba”?
It’s someone that was raised in the Soviet Russian knows that this was a a genuine kind joke regarding Crimea (sort of sayng in proper Russia jews are doing very well and especially the synagogues)
It’s not about the intent. That’s not how it works. Think of other situations in which an action is perceived to be racist, and someone is offended and hurt as a result of that action. The defense might be ‘It was meant as a joke! It’s coming from a good place!’ but that doesn’t erase the fact that someone was hurt, which means it was in poor taste regardless of intention. Putin may be good to some Russian Jews so you view him under that lens and it’s all in good fun, haha. To those of us who see him… Read more »
While one can mistake that as anti-Semitic, in such a case you’re best to look at the general context. In this case the history of his demeanor and humour towards such may shine light that he had no ill intent.
Context is everything. In life you have to be able to take a joke, and as the article clearly quotes the rabbi saying, “He was making a joke.”
If Cortez made the same joke about jews in NY not having money with a sneer on her face, then yes, that would be anti- Semitic.
You do realize that joke is anti-Semitic? Had it been a liberal politician you all would be up in arms decrying it.
we wish Putin much sucess in conquering the crimean peninsula