New Chabad Center To Open In Up-and-Coming Moscow Neighborhood

Over one hundred years ago, a Soviet car factory named for Josef Stalin was opened in southern Moscow, built to provide the regime’s elite with automobiles. Years later, it was renamed “ZiL” after the factory’s director — a name that eventually became synonymous with the neighborhood itself.

In recent years, the old factory grounds have been transformed into a modern residential district along the Moscow River, featuring the Marc Chagall Promenade, a luxury waterfront walkway lined with parks, cafes, and upscale apartment buildings — honoring the great 20th-century Jewish artist. This renewal has attracted many young families and older residents seeking a higher quality of life to the ZiL neighborhood — including a small but growing number of Jewish families.

“Currently, we personally know about fifteen Jews living here, but it’s clear there are many more,” said Rabbi Shaul Shimon Deitch, who along with his wife Shira opened the area’s first Chabad — and Moscow’s thirty-fifth — in August. “The community is still in its early stages — young and full of potential.”

The Deitches are focusing on getting to know the Jews of the neighborhood and building warm relationships with them. “Our first priority is to create a welcoming environment,” Rabbi Deitch explained. “With time, we plan to host prayer services on Shabbat and holidays, Torah classes, children’s activities, and community gatherings.”