Russia is preparing legislation to recognize religious schools, including Jewish institutions, First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told Russian Jewish leaders. The French news agency AFP reported that the bill has passed first reading and is expected to become law early next year. It represents a total turnaround from most of the 20th century when it was forbidden even to practice Judaism.
Medvedev said the legislation will meet demands of the Russian Jewish community, which he noted has "grown almost tenfold over the past years." Russian Jewish leaders estimate the Jewish population in the country to be about 250,000.
Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar declared, "There is no doubt that a new era for Russian Jews has begun. Life is becoming better on a material level and on a spiritual level."