Ukrainian Jewish Community Confronted by Anti-Semitism

The Fellowship  |  December 1, 2017

Anti-Semitic attacks toward the Jewish community of Uzhgorod in west Ukraine are being investigated by police, as community members found graffiti messages saying “Death to the Jews” on the walls of their Jewish charity center and synagogue. Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein is on the forefront of ensuring the community’s safety.

Writers at The Federation of the Jewish Communities of the CIS tell us more:

Responding immediately to the threat, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, the president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, instructed to provide security measures for the community’s safety.

“We contacted the Israeli embassy right away,” said Uzhgorod Rabbi, Mendy Wilhelm, in a phone interview. “We cannot take these things lightly.” Uzhgorod synagogue serves as a de-facto community center, hosting a Jewish kindergarten, youth events and more, so there are always many children around. On Chanukah, the Jewish community is also planning to conduct a lot of public celebrations, usually open to everyone.