100-Year-Old Ukraine Synagogue Damaged

Stand for Israel  |  March 14, 2022

As the people of Ukraine – including the nation’s more than 200,000 Jews – endure the ongoing war in their country, the conflict is taking a toll on their lives and their faith. The latest symbol to fall victim to the onslaught, our friends at The Algemeiner report, is the damaged synagogue in Kharkiv, Ukraine, built in 1913 and one of the largest Jewish houses of worship in all of Europe:

A century-old synagogue in Kharkiv was damaged by Russian shelling on Thursday, as the relentless bombardment of the north-eastern city in Ukraine continued into a 15th day.

Local media outlet Kharkiv Today published a photograph of the shattered windows on the upper level of the synagogue. “One of the largest synagogues in Europe, built in 1913, suffered as a result of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine,” a statement from the United Jewish Community of Ukraine confirmed. There were additional reports that some members of the Jewish community were sheltering inside the synagogue when the building was struck, but there were no injuries or fatalities…

In a message to the residents of Kharkiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pledged to rebuild their city.

“I want to say this using the example of Kharkiv, our Kharkiv, which is now experiencing the greatest suffering since the Second World War — Saltovka, Alekseevka, perhaps for most Ukrainians these names will not mean anything, but Kharkivites will understand,” Zelensky said on Thursday. “We will rebuild everything, I promise you personally. Kharkiv residents will see that Ukraine is for them And it’s for real.”