ByTZVI JOFFRE

Ukrainian Rabbi Moshe Reuven Azman was ranked as one of the top 100 most influential people and phenomena in Ukraine, by Vesti, a Russian-language newspaper in Ukraine.

Azman made the list because of the Jewish community's aid in the fight against the novel coronavirus, including providing protective gear to medical workers, housing doctors working at a local hospital and feeding the sick and needy. He ranked 62nd on the list.

The rabbi made the news recently for expressing support for the storming of the US Capitol last week, comparing the clashes to his own country’s recent pro-democracy revolution.

Asman, a hasidic rabbi who is one of several people claiming to be the chief rabbi of Ukraine, posted on Facebook that the “Maidan has begun in the USA,” referring to the widespread protests that led to the ouster of pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014. “The people protesting against mass election fraud broke into the capital. God bless America.”

The list was compiled by a number of scientists, political experts, analysts and the editorial team at Vesti, among others. Topping the list of most influential people and phenomena was, of course, COVID-19.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish, ranked fourth on the list. Jewish philanthropist George Soros also featured on the list, ranking at eighth place. Soros and Zelensky both fell from their places on last year's ranking.

The listing stated that Soros fell in the ranking because of the departure of government officials that they referred to as "nestlings of Sorosov's nest," a phrase used to describe officials claimed to be funded or supported by George Soros. A number of conspiracy theories claim that Soros has control over events throughout the world, including in Ukrainian politics. These claims are often compared to antisemitic tropes that Jews "control the world."

Vesti stated in an introduction to the ranking that candidates for the list were judged based on level of independence, resource availability and connections, contributions to the field and achievements, influence on decision-making in Ukraine, the ability to accumulate supporters and media coverage. Experts scored each candidate based on each of these parameters and Vesti's editorial team chose the top scoring candidates with "some adjustments," according to the ranking's introduction.
Sam Sokol and Cnaan Lipshiz of JTA contributed to this report.