The Moscow Jewish community's soup kitchen at the new Shaarei Tsedek Charity Center is up and running, serving hot lunches to some 600 clients each day.

With a pristine dining room and bakery in a sprawling new campus in the city's Marina Roscha neighborhood, the hall has lavished attention on visitors.

"Of course the first stage was a lot of work," said staff member Marina Kogan.

"I think we have reached a new level of service with the opening of the soup kitchen."

Soon expected to reach its capacity of 2,000 persons, the soup kitchen is supported by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia. ...