Rabbi Kalman Weinfeld, a member of the executive rabbinical council at OK Kosher, Rabbi Mendel Weinfeld; Consul General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles Nasimi Aghayev; and David Taban, a philanthropist on the Chabad building committee. The four met this month to discuss Azerbaijan's support for the Chabad House. (Courtesy of Rabbi Mendel Weinfeld)
Why a Muslim Diplomat from Azerbaijan Is Helping Rebuild a California Synagogue
In the wee hours of the morning of Dec. 22, 2021, an intentionally lit fire tore through the building of Chabad-Lubavitch of Almaden Valley, Calif. In the hours that followed, a GoFundMe page created by a community member garnered support from the wider San Jose community. Yet when Chabad’s of Almaden Valley’s co-director Rabbi Mendel Weinfeld was contacted by the Consul General of Azerbaijan, it wasn’t something he was expecting.
