According to Haaretz, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has signed a presidential order to return an estimated 700 Sifrei Torah confiscated from Jewish communities during the Soviet Union’s Communist rule. The decision is seen as an attempt to mollify Jewish and Israeli opinion in advance of a visit to Israel by Yushchenko next week.
Yushchenko incurred the anger of Jewish activists two weeks ago after honoring a Ukrainian nationalist who was also a virulent anti-Semite, and his latest step is seen as an attempt to improve relations before his visit to Israel next month.
Good Lord! Where did they store 700 sifrei torah!? If I had to guess, in a stack in some dank basement next to the potato surplus.
700 is worth a huge amount too, even if many need repairs.
Also, who are they going to be given/returned to? How will they determine who they belonged to and who it should be given to?
HOW ABOUT ALL THE SEFARIM AND MANUSCRIPTS THEY STOLE.
And where were they until now? The ukranian government just had amnesia until suddenly it was good for PR for them to remember? Yemach Shemam
This Yushchenko was almost killed by a member of the Russian intelligence because he was organizing and leading a very successful opposition to Putin. I think this is his way of giving it back to Putin.
who exactly are they giving the sifrei tora to?
They should be giving the sifrei Torah to the many reborn Torah congregations throughout Ukraine. Unfortunately, there are a handful of shuls in the hands of the aberrant “movements” that may also receive sifrei Torah. Hopefully Chabad and Rabbi Bleich’s people (and whoever is responsible for keeping up the facilities in Uman) will be able to keep them from being desecrated again by koifrim.
I agree with # 8!!
It should only go to places like Rabbi Bleich (in Kiev) and the chabads there…
Not some reform group, which was never there before communisom, so it never belonged to them.