St. Petersburg is a charming and popular tourist destination that attracts tourists from all over the world. There are also fascinating Jewish heritage sites in the city
In the 18th century, Israel was ruled by the Ottoman Empire, and were the enemies of the Russians. Chabad Hasidic founder, Rabbi Schneor Zalman from Ladi, called 
"The Old Admor" and "Baal HaTanya", used to send money to his followers who immigrated to Eretz Israel. Jewish 'dissenters' informed the authorities that he was a 'traitor' who was helping the Turks. The Russians put him in prison in the Petropavli fortress in Petersburg. This offense was a death sentence
The Rabbi was found innocent, and released at the twelfth day of Tammuz in 1798. Chabad devotees are celebrating "Chag Ha-Geula", Redemption Day, every year
The Petropavli fortress has been renovated to be a general tourist site. Petropavli Prison is on an island in Neva River, which now has two bridges connecting it to Petersburg land. In 18th century there were no bridges, and the traffic to the island was by boats. The old Rebbe was taken to jail every evening after investigation at the police headquarter in Petersburg
A Chabad legend tells that one night suddenly the clouds dispersed and the moon was shining. The Rebbe asked to stop the boat to say the "Kiddush Levana" prayer. The Russian officer refused, and suddenly the boat engine choked. When the Rebbe finished praying, the captain was able to restart the boat engine. The captain realized that there was a miracle and a supreme power and he asked the Rebbe to bless him
The prison yard today, and the prison's outer wall
There is another tradition started at Petersburg. 92 years ago, the Russian secret regime surrounded the home of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneorson at 22 Moxovya Street. This is what the house looks like today: i
From this house, the Rebbe was taken to the Sheplerka prison. It's still functions as a prison. A road passes by it, but people must not stop and take pictures, and contact with the prisoners inside isn't allowed. Police and guards patrol the nearby sidewalks and enforce it with scary rigor. Nevertheless, I asked the driver to drive slowly, taking pictures of the building while traveling. It was dangerous, my heart beat wildly, but it went through peacefully
When the Rebbe was arrested, his followers began an international campaign pressing their governments and the Red Cross to abolish the death penalty. Two weeks later, the Russians surrendered, sweeping the punishment for exile to Siberia for ten years. Another week later, they suddenly released the Rebbe and drove him home. That is why the Chabad Hassidim call it "a visible miracle of the Lord". i
The Rebbe returned from prison to his home, and 92 years later I also drove from the prison to the Rebbe's residence. He lived in a large apartment on the third floor. I am not a Chabadnik, but this event on this very day and place was very exciting. I shared my feelings with the Shaliach. He put his arm on my shoulder, and we sang and danced "Nyet Nyet Nikavo" (No one but him) right at the front door of the Rebbe's home. It was a memorable spiritual and exciting experience
The city today
The redemption of the two "Chag Ha-Geula" took place in Leningrad, while I was traveling in St. Petersburg. It's actually the same location. The city was formerly called St. Petersburg, named after the city's founder, the czar "Pyotr The Great". In 1914 they changed the German name to Petrograd, which is a Russian name. Three days after the death of Lenin in 1924, they decided to change the name of the city again, calling it Leningrad. After the fall of Soviet rule in 1991, the original name St. Petersburg was restored. Jews prefer to call it "Petersburg", without "Saint". i
No matter what name it is called, it is the most beautiful city in Eastern Europe, and perhaps the most beautiful in the world. It is the second largest city in Russia, with about 6 million inhabitants. It is also called "Venice of the North", because of the many canals and bridges. One of the pleasant ways to get acquainted is by canal cruising, with explanations of what we see by the river
On this cruise we will see many tourist sites, and we can plan where to go later when we get off the boat. Off the boat we enter one of the palaces, we meet stunning beauty. Lots of golden cornices on the windows and ceilings. And on the walls lots of famous paintings
The most important tourist site is the Hermitage Museum, considered the "Louvre of Russia". It is housed in 6 buildings, the first of which was once the Tsar's Winter Palace. It is a huge building on the river bank whose walls are blue and green and white. We reached it from the river station
Tips: 1- Book tickets in advance. Those who arrive without a reservation might wait a long time in line for entry. 2- Leave bags, umbrellas, bottles and coats on the bus. We will not be allowed to get them in. 3- Heels shoes are prohibited because they might scratch the beautiful hardwood floors
The museum has large halls divided by origin and by artists. First we see the Egyptian hall, the sarcophagi with the mummies, and the inscription. The next hall is the Italian. It features paintings and sculptures and urns. The next hall is the Dutch. It also has many original photos of Van Gogh and Rembrandt. Most of all I loved the biblical painting depicting the "Akedat Yitschak", Binding of Isaac
In the large and wide corridors there are paintings of the Tsars and Tsarinas of Russian history
The Hermitage Museum has about 3 million pieces, and very few of them are on display. The curators change part of the exhibition every 3 months, so that even those who have already visited here will see new works. Art lovers can spend 3-4 days there
Address: Dvortsovaya nab. 34
When we leave the museum, we are in "Palace Square". At its center is a statue called the "Symbol of Sorrow". At the other end of the square is a beautiful yellow palace General Staff, which houses the Foreign Office and the headquarters of government employees
Picturesque carriages are parking in the square and invite us to tour the city, and feel like the princes centuries ago
Tip: Beware of pickpockets in the square. They have sophisticated methods. Beautiful young women like 
these, dressed in Tsarina-style attire, walk around the front of the museum, offering to be photographed with them. Offer such a pose and another and move us from one spot to another, and while we're concentrating on the perfect shot, their friends may pop up and steal the briefcase or wallet we momentarily put on the floor
The Summer Palace
The most beautiful place, in my opinion, is Katrina's Summer Palace. Located in the town of Pushkin, about 30 km from St. Petersburg. Once the palace and its surroundings were part of Petersburg, but on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the national poet Alexander Pushkin, the area was renamed after him. In landscaped gardens reminiscent of the Palace of Versailles, plus golden fountains of all shapes and sizes
But the magnificence of the courtyard outside is as nothing compared to the beauty and splendor of the palace inside. Every hall is beautiful than its predecessor. I have never seen so many gold ornaments. Stunning look. Among the gold ornaments on the walls are large mirrors. On ceilings we see huge picturesque. The royal wealth is evident from every stone and wall. I have no words to describe this sublime beauty, so let the pictures speak for me: i
Tip: It is suggested visiting the Summer Palace near the end of our trip to Petersburg, although it is considered a second tourist destination. The reason: All other sites pale in comparison, and after visiting the Summer Palace we will be less fascinated by them than if we visit them without seeing the palace
The Holocaust Memorial
On our visit to Pushkin, we should know that Jews once lived here as well. On April 9, 1941, the Nazis gathered 23 Jewish children and 15 men near the gate of the palace. The children tried to escape, and the Nazis shot them to death. The Gentile neighbors saw everything, and did nothing to save the children. For 12 days, the bodies of the children laid outside, and the smell of their decay became unbearable. Some local women gathered what was left of the children's bodies and buried them. The exact location is unknown, but it is known to be beneath the large asphalt plaza currently facing the entrance to the summer palace
In October 1941, the Nazis collected the 800 remaining Jews in the township and 171 children, and imprisoned them in the cellars of this palace. Two days later they took them out and led them to a plot that was then outside the small town, shooting them to death
50 years later, in 1991, was inaugurated at the site a memorial monument to the Jews of the Holocaust victims, sculpted by Beida. The initiative for the establishment of the monument was not by Jews but by non-Jewish pupils from the Pushkin schools, who recruited the mayor and businessmen for the idea
Every year on October 1st there is a memorial service attended by Pushkin's students and their parents, as well as Jewish and Gentile guests. If we are arriving Petersburg around in early October, it is highly recommended to attend this ceremony. I arrived at the memorial with a group of orthodox tourists, and one of the cantors said "Kaddish" and "El Maleh Rachamim" prayer
The monument is half a mile from the palace, at the intersection of Palace Street and the corner of Moscow Street
Savior on the Spilled Blood
One of the most beautiful buildings in Petersburg is the church built in a special Russian style. The church has gold-plated domes and turrets and colored porcelain. It was given the name "the spilled blood" because this is where Tsar Alexander II was murdered. A similar church is also at the corner of Moscow's Red Square, and I can't decide which one is more beautiful
The address: Griboyedov channel embankment, 2
St. Isaac's Cathedral
This cathedral is very impressive inside with spectacular paintings on its walls and ceiling. I couldn't stop looking at its beautiful ceiling. I walked inside it with my eyes looking up, until my neck was caught. Usually we do not enter churches, but there are rabbis who allow to enter cathedrals which are mainly used as an art museum, and not for services. This cathedral certainly meets these requirements
The Jewish point
Petersburg was built in 1703. Already then we come across documents bearing Jewish names. The Tsarina Catherine the Great banned Jews from living in the city. But because she wanted to expedite and streamline the development of the city, she allowed "beneficial Jews" to come in. Her intention was for builders, bankers, doctors, and factory owners who provide jobs. The most prominent "beneficial Jew" was a big construction contractor named Abraham Peretz. He organized the first local Jewish community
In the early twentieth century, Petersburg was the center of Jewish culture. A few newspapers in Yiddish and Hebrew were published here. Here, Joseph Trumpeldor and Zeev Jabotinsky set up the first Jewish battalion
The Choral Synagogue
The icing on the whipped cream in Petersburg is the Great Synagogue and the Jewish community. The location of the synagogue was chosen by the Tsar who wanted to harass Jews. Therefore, he choose the place "at the end of the world" outside the city. Meanwhile, the city has expanded and grown, and today the synagogue is in a good location in center
The address: Lermantovski Larmantovski 2
This magnificent synagogue was founded in 1850, and opened for the first time in 1893. 20 years were needed to get a building permits, and another 20 years were required to complete the building
It is a huge building that can accommodate 1,200 worshipers. The second largest synagogue in Europe (after Budapest). Today, the walls are painted with a soothing yellow color, with white marble plates. The chief rabbi of Petersburg was Rabbi Yitzchak Blazer, the author of "Pney Yitzchak". Afterwards, other rabbis served here, most famous of them was the Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Schneorson, who led the community and the synagogue in 1920-1927
During the Bolshevik Revolution, the powers of Tsar Nicholas II were abolished. It was at Passover, and the Petersburg rabbi had made a Pesak Din to say a "full Hallel", even in "Chol Ha-Moed". But the joy was too early, because the Tzsar replacement was also anti-Semitic and harassed the Jews
In 2012, another synagogue "Shtibel" was built on the side of the synagogue for members of the Georgian community. This synagogue was founded by the oligarch Michael (Micho) Mirilashvili, who now lives in Herzliya. In his youth, Micho studied medicine at the University of St. Petersburg, so his heart is warmly reserved for this city. (His son Isaac Mirilashvili is the owner of Channel 20 in Israel.) Micho also funded the small "Chabad synagogue" inside the Great Synagogue complex
Georgian Synagogue (top) and Chabad School (bottom) i
Once there were about 60 Shtiblach and prayer houses in Petersburg. The communist government demanded to shut them down, as a condition of obtaining permission to operate the Great Synagogue. When the Iron Curtain fell on Russia, they placed camera that took pictures of all people entering the synagogue gate. Young people who came to pray here were taken to prison, and others were fired from their jobs, and thrown out of universities and the Komsomol (the Young Communist League). During the years of communist rule, the place was neglected and desolate. More mice walked around than worshipers
During World War II, Leningrad was under siege by the Germans. Once, a missile fell on the synagogue roof, penetrated inside, and in a miracle did not explode. At that time most of the community were old sick people, who had difficulty physically dealing with the dead and burying them. They brought the dead to the synagogue courtyard, piled them up, and once a week a truck would take the dead to bury them in a mass grave
The Six Day War caused national resurgence in Russia and Leningrad as well. Many began to study Hebrew and Torah. In 1970, Leningrad held a world-wide trial. A group of young people from Riga planned to hijack a plane and to land in neighboring Sweden. There, they wanted to hold a press conference where they would present to the world the harsh life of Jews in Russia. They were found guilty and jailed
In 1980, the Leningrad Olympics Games took place, and the authorities renovated the city. The Great Synagogue also got a cosmetic treatment, rendering and coloring. But over the years, that too has worn off
In 1992, a Chabad Shaliach, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Fabzner, arrived in the city. One day he was approached on street by a Jewish who said, "I am looking for a place to say Kaddish". The rabbi accompanied him to the synagogue and organized a minyan for Mincha prayer. This Jew was shocked by the neglect. After the prayer he turned to Rabbi Mendel again and said: "I am Edmund Safra. I have money, and I want to contribute to the renovation of this place". The Great Synagogue was renovated with his money
In 1997, Chief Rabbi Levittis retired, and Rabbi Menachem Mendel Pevsner was elected as the Chief Rabbi of Petersburg. Since then he has transformed the synagogue into a huge community center of Petersburg and its vicinity. Today, about 80,000 Jews are registered in Petersburg Jewish community. Assimilation reaches a scary dimension of 97%. "Almost every 'Jewish' family has a non-Jewish father or mother" says Rabbi Menachem Mendel Pavzner
By mid-week there are about fifty regular worshipers for morning and evening prayers, and about 200 prayers come for Shabbat prayers. In the high holidays, about a thousand Jews come to pray here. Simchat Torah is the main Jewish holiday in Petersburg. About 5,000 Jews arrive at the synagogue. The municipality closes the street, and the community places hundreds of benches on the nearby street and sidewalks. About 8,000 Jews come to light Chanukah candles
The community offer also evening classes for students. Around Petersburg there are another 6 Chabad houses and 5 Jewish schools and two kindergartens. The Great Synagogue complex also has a boys' school (Heider) and a girls' school. There is also a kitchen for about 60 elderly people coming to eat daily
There are 4 kosher restaurants in Petersburg, and two of them in the Synagogue complex. I had the opportunity to eat in the "Lechayim" restaurant and was surprised by the great taste and quality, and the reasonable prices. There are many Jewish tourists in the summer, and sometimes there is no room for everyone, so we'd order tables in advance. There is a Mikveh in the synagogue. Also a small hotel for accommodating Jewish guests. The hotel has only 6 rooms, clean and spacious. And also a grocery store with kosher food products
The "operations officer" who is responsible for all those projects is the chief rabbi's son, Rabbi Shalom Pevsner. The missions are so numerous that during the summer he receives reinforcements from two more young Shlichim coming from Israel
Chief Rabbi Menachem Mendel Pevsner, and his son Rabbi Shalom
In the Primovsky business district in Petersburg is Gazprom tower, also called the Akhta Center. It's Russia's highest skyscraper. It is 462 meters high and has 87 floors. The building is designed like a flame of fire coming from a gas pipe. It stands out in the distance and sees it everywhere in the Petersburg neighborhood. Initially it was planned to be build downtown, but public opposition arose, maybe it'll overshadow major attractions such as the Hermitage
Gazprom is the world's largest gas company, which supplies a quarter of Europe's gas consumption, and all the gas consumed in the former Soviet Union. It also has a "Jewish point". Among the company's owners were two young Jews, Michael Khodrokovsky and Leonid Nevezlin, who controlled it through the "Yukos" oil company. Nevezlin made Aliya to Israel and settled in Herzliya. Leonid Nevzlin's daughter is married to our Knesset Speaker, Yuli Edelstein
"There is no anti-Semitism here" says Rabbi Shalom Pavzner. "We can walk around freely with a Kipah and Tzitzit". i
Before leaving Petersburg, my wife and I sat on a bench on the promenade, watching the sea and Gazprom tower on the horizon, enjoying a breeze blowing lightly from the bay. Two good-looking student girls saw the Kipah on my head, and came close to chatting to us. They turned out to be Jewish, who wanted to roll their Hebrew a bit. One of the things I learned from them was that the Jews in St. Petersburg are worrying about their future. They say that an anti-Semitism is bubbling beneath the social surface. "It's in the DNA of the gentiles here" they say. The laymen are jealous of the Jews because of the many Jewish oligarchs in the city, who are considered to be robbers of the public coffers. "Today the situation of the Jews is safe and good, thanks to Putin's strong hand", the girls say. "But what will happen to us after the Putin era? All Soviet tsars and rulers harassed Jews and allowed pogroms. Will there not again be an anti-Semitic leader who will release the bridle and allow mobs to harm us, and will endorse Duma members to enact laws that restrict Jews?" i
"The solution to your concerns is to make Aliya to Israel" I told them
"Not yet" they replied. "It's still good for us here in Petersburg"
