Kosher Nightclub to Open in Moscow

A Russian Jewish group is preparing to open a kosher “Shachar Club” nightclub in the center of Moscow Saturday night, the Russia-language Israeli news site izrus.co.il reported.

“Jewish youth in Moscow should have somewhere with an easy, relaxed atmosphere to hang out, discuss their identity, or just have fun,” a co-founder of the new club, Ilya Lipetsker, told Izrus. He said he hoped the club would help unite young Jews from different backgrounds.

The club reportedly will only offer kosher food and drink, and organizers wrote on Facebook that the new club will not be open on Shabbat.

Lipetsker helped establish the club with Alexander Kargin, who heads a group called Shachar, which organizes activities for the Jewish community, mostly with a pro-Israel orientation. Shachar has organized rallies in Russia to express solidarity with Israel, including during the 2011 Pillar of Defense operation in Gaza.

Lipetsker said the new club is meant to expose Moscow’s 100,000 Jews to “a slice of the Tel Aviv nightlife and thus allow Moscow Jews to immerse themselves in that scene.”