Lev Grigorievich Toitman, ( 1925 - September 11, 2007), was a soldier in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 . Toitman is known for the, "foundation and revival of the local Jewish community" in Birobidzhan

Birobidzhan

Birobidzhan is a town and the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Trans-Siberian railway, close to the border with the People's Republic of China....

.

Jewish Community leadership

Lev Toitman was the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS

Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS

Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS is a Jewish organisation dedicated to restoring Jewish life, culture and religion in the Commonwealth of Independent States , the former Soviet Union...

 Chairman for Birobidzhan, the capital of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast

Jewish Autonomous Oblast

The Jewish Autonomous Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated in the Russian Far East, bordering Khabarovsk Krai and Amur Oblast of Russia and Heilongjiang province of China. Its administrative center is the town of Birobidzhan....

. During the time of his leadership, the Jewish Community of Birobidzhan had a membership of about 4,500. Lev Toitman led this community from 1997 until he died on September 11, 2007. In 2004, Lev Toitman participated in the 70th anniversary celebration for the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. The anniversary was celebrated with the opening of Birobidzhan Synagogue

Birobidzhan Synagogue

The Birobidzhan Synagogue was established in 2004. The synagogue is in the city of Birobidzhan, which is the capital of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, an autonomous oblast of Russia. It is "the first synagogue in Russia to be built partly with state money," according to the Federation of Jewish...

. Toitman played a role in both the synagogue

Synagogue

A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...

's construction and opening. On the day of the opening, Rabbi

Rabbi

In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...

 Mordechai Scheiner

Mordechai Scheiner

Mordechai Sheiner has been Chief Rabbi of Jewish Autonomous Oblast since 2002.-Background:Mordechai Sheiner came to the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in 2002. He arrived in Birobidzhan as a 30 year old rabbi from Israel. He had never been to Birobidzhan before, but spoke Russian thanks to two years he...

, the Chief Rabbi

Chief Rabbi

Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...

 of Birobidzhan and Chabad Lubavitch representative to the region, said "Today one can enjoy the benefits of the Yiddish culture

Culture

Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...

 and not be afraid to return to their Jewish traditions. Its safe without any Anti-Semitism

Anti-Semitism

Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...

 and we plan to open the first Jewish day school

Jewish day school

A Jewish day school is a modern Jewish educational institution that is designed to provide Jewish children with both a Jewish and a secular education in one school on a full time basis, hence its name of "day school" meaning a school that the students attend for an entire day and not on a part time...

 here".

Awards and Medals

Lev Toitman was awarded the Order of Friendship

Order of Friendship

The Order of Friendship is a state decoration of Russia established by decree # 442 of March 2, 1994 of the President of the Russian Federation....

 in 2005 for organizing the Jewish Community of Birobidzhan. For his service at the front during World War II, and for being seriously wounded in battle, he earned two medals for bravery. Lev Toitman also bore the title 'Honorable Citizen of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast."

Additional reading

• Two Prestigious Awards for Russian Jewish Leader," Thursday, June 2, 2005
• 8th Anniversary for Jewish Community of Birobidjan," Tuesday, July 5, 2005
• Jews of Far East Reviewed by a Scientist," Monday, March 1, 2004
• Russian Far East Community to Get New Mikvah," Friday, February 4, 2005

See also

• Jews and Judaism in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
  Jews and Judaism in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
  The history of the Jews in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast , Russia, began with the early settlements of 1928.Yiddish, along with Russian, are the two official languages in the JAO.-Early settlement:...
  
  
• List of Jewish Autonomous Oblast Leaders