Chief Rabbi of Ukraine
Leader of Ukrainian Jewish community
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Chief Rabbi of Ukraine is the leader of the Jewish community in Ukraine. As of 2025, this position is claimed by Rabbi Moshe Reuven Azman and Rabbi Yaakov Bleich.[1]
History
The Forward and The Jerusalem Post report that although Rabbi Yaakov Bleich had "never [been] properly elected", he had been broadly acknowledged as Kyiv's and Ukraine's chief rabbi since 1992.[1][2] However, in 2003, Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis[1][2][3] elected Rabbi Azriel Chaikin to the position of chief rabbi, leading to confusion.[4] Chaikin moved to New York in 2008 and has not lived in Ukraine since then.[1][5]
In 2005, a third chief rabbi emerged when Rabbi Moshe Reuven Azman — also a Chabad rabbi but not a member of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine[2] — was elected by the All-Ukrainian Jewish Congress and the United Jewish Community of Ukraine,[2][6] in a move rejected by other Chabad leaders.[3][2][7]
Bleich did not relinquish his title, and as of 2022, media quoted and referred to both Azman and Bleich as chief rabbi of Ukraine.[1]