In Ukraine, Shocking Theft at Jewish Burial Site

PERVOMAISK, Ukraine [FJC] — An upsetting incident has occurred in the Ukrainian city of Pervomaisk, Nikolayev region. Namely, the theft of a very expensive memorial Menorah, erected in memory of tens of thousands of Jews murdered during the Holocaust, who were buried in a mass grave at this site. Tragically, the large Menorah, constructed of metal, was stolen during Simchat Torah.

Chief Rabbi of Pervomaisk Levi Perelstein and Mikhail Shefkin, the Chairman of the local Jewish community, immediately notified the police and submitted a complaint to law enforcement agencies. The police announced they would launch an investigation and try to find the culprits. Rabbi Perelstein expressed confidence that all angles are being investigated and does not rule out the possibility that the thieves stole the object to melt down the metal.

While the Menorah is worth thousands of dollars, the thieves may have performed this crime not for its monetary value, but rather as an anti-Semitic act. This scenario seems even more likely considering that the robbery took place on the final holiday of Tishrei – a day that is otherwise marked by great joy for Jews. Nevertheless, no conclusions are being drawn just yet in terms of whether this vile act was indeed an anti-Semitic act.

It is worth noting that this is not an isolated incident. Other vandalistic acts have also recently taken place locally, with anti-Semitic graffiti appearing the Jewish cemetery.

Rabbi Perelstein, who also serves in the region as a Chabad Lubavitch emissary, conducts a yearly Yahrtzeit ceremony at this burial site, which is also visited by thousands of people annually, who come here to honor the innocent victims of the Holocaust. Such commemorative ceremonies are common among the members of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine and their peers in the wider Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS and Baltic Countries, of which Lev Leviev is the President.