As municipal planners and residents of the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, focus on the city's hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics, they've turned their eyes on the city's Jewish community to help them cater to the thousands of athletes and visitors – some of whom will be Jewish – who will descend on the region.

Semyon Vainshtok, director of the state corporation managing Sochi's Olympic preparations, met with Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Ari Edelkopf, the city's chief rabbi, to brief him on infrastructure improvements, which will include the construction of a manmade island called Federation. For his part, Edelkopf gave Vainshtok an assessment of the Jewish community, which comprises an estimated 3,000 people. He detailed its current facilities and tourism-based activities, which include inviting visitors to communal gatherings and offering them kosher food.

The pair looked over plans for a new synagogue to be built on Federation with the support of the Federation of Jewish Communities of the Former Soviet Union, the Rohr Family Foundation and the Or Avner Foundation have all signed on the project.

"We love Russia and this city, which is our home," said Edelkpof. "We are grateful to the state corporation and to Mr. Veinshtok for resolving all the tasks set out by President Putin."