Shock in Odessa as Historic Shul is Struck in Attack
A wave of deep shock and sorrow swept through the Jewish community of Odessa, Ukraine, following another attack on the city that resulted in a direct hit to the historic synagogue in the Peresyp area — a building that served as Odessa’s only synagogue during the Soviet era • Read More
In response, the Chief Rabbi of Odessa and Southern Ukraine, Rabbi Avraham Wolff, delivered a powerful message of strength and faith to his community.
“This synagogue is not just a building — it is a symbol,” Rabbi Wolff declared. “For decades, during the time when Judaism in Odessa was forced underground under the Communist regime, this was the only sanctuary for the city’s Jews. And today, once again, it is under attack. But nothing will break our spirit.”
Rabbi Wolff, who serves as The Rebbe’s Shliach in Odessa, emphasized the unwavering commitment of the community’s leadership:
“We have been on Shlichus for nearly 40 years. Even throughout more than three years of war, we never left — and we will not leave. Not the 124 orphans in our ‘Mishpacha Ukraine’ orphanage, not the 45 Holocaust survivors in our senior home, not the hundreds of refugee families from across Ukraine, and not the thousands of Jews who rely on us — for their physical and spiritual lives.”
Despite ongoing alarms, blackouts, and repeated attacks, Rabbi Wolff affirmed that the community’s institutions continue to function and support thousands:
“This is the mission of our lives — and we will stay here for as long as we are needed. With love, with responsibility, and with determination — we will not abandon a single Jew, nor a single synagogue.”
In the coming days, a prayer gathering will be held at the synagogue in response to the devastating strike.
“We are all hurting,” concluded Rabbi Wolff, “but we continue forward — on a mission for the Jews of Odessa and for the Jewish people — with light as our path.”
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