Krasnaya Sloboda's young men lead the community. Elazar Nisimov, at age 20, is already among the village's oldest learned men. Having just returned from Shurut Ami yeshiva in Israel, where he became a certified shokhet (Jewish ritual slaughterer -- see photo/caption below), Elazar reads through the morning prayers in Hebrew like a native-born Israeli. Though he may eventually return to Israel, for now, his talents are needed in his village, where he is admired both by the younger boys and the older men. The latter grew up during the Communist era, when Jewish learning like that which Elazar received was strictly prohibited.

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