Major rent increase sends Russian groups packing

A major rent increase forced the Jewish charitable organizations in a Russian city out of their offices.

The groups in Obninsk left the premises last month after the Russian government agency that owns the properties tripled the rent, according to the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS.

The rent for similar nongovernmental organizations in Obninsk, a city of about 105,000 located approximately 100 miles southwest of Moscow, reportedly did not rise.

The Jewish community has appealed to city officials to help provide facilities or land for the construction of a Jewish community center.