A unique Jewish museum and visitors center opened in Moscow Saturday night. The new museum, nestled at “Shaarei Zedek” social aid center, is dedicated to “Tzedakah”, the Jewish charity. The goal of the museum is to educate the public about the importance of charity, which, as Judaism believes, is one of the foundation pillars of the world.

The new museum exhibits artifacts connected to the commandment of Tzedakah and underlines the important part it held and continues to hold in Jewish life throughout history.

At the opening, chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar affixed a Mezuzah to the museum’s doorpost, while the president of FJC Russia Alexander Boroda and prominent philanthropist George Rohr cut the ‘red ribbon’.

The importance of charity is also majorly underlined by the location of the new museum itself: the Shaarei Zedek social aid center is the largest Jewish charity institution in the FSU. Founded by Rabbi Lazar, it caters to the needs of over 15,000 elderly and needy Jews throughout the year, providing food and taking care of their medical and social needs.

The highlight of the museum exhibition is a miniature replica of modern Jewish Moscow. It shows the educational institutions, synagogues and community centers throughout the city and illustrates the amount of such institutions in Russia’s capital.