Historic Odesa synagogue damaged by Russian drone strike
Tikva appeals for support to restore Great Choral shul in Ukraine's third largest city
A 19th century shul in Ukraine’s third largest city which survived pogroms, two world wars and Communist repression has been damaged by a Russian bomb which landed metres away, injuring a security guard in the process.
The Great Choral Synagogue, one of just two synagogues surviving in a city which used to contain 200,000 Jews, suffered the damage on Sunday night, as part of continued attacks by Russia on key Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv and Dnipro. The blast blew out the doors and windows of the synagogue; the injured guard is receiving medical treatment.
Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, who served as Chief Rabbi of Moscow before resigning from his post and leaving Russia after refusing to back the country’s invasion of Ukraine, described the attack, saying that Russia had “targeted” the Synagogue.
Referring to the Synagogue’s long history of survival, Rabbi Goldschmidt said that “It will B”H [please God] withstand this act of Russian aggression as well—and it will once again be vibrant, active, and thriving.”
The synagogue describes itself as providing “a wide variety of social services to the community”, including a library, Hebrew classes and a kosher restaurant in the basement.
Tikva, the UK charity that provides aid and long-term support to vulnerable members of the Jewish community in Odesa, is appealing for funds to help repair the site.
Chief executive of Tikva UK, Karen Bodenstein, said: “This synagogue is far more than bricks and mortar. It is a lifeline for elderly members of the community, a place of safety, and a symbol of Jewish resilience in Odesa. That it was targeted is deeply shocking. Tikva is committed to repairing the damage and ensuring these essential services continue, but we urgently need support to do so.”
- To support the repairs to the synagogue click here.
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