The windows of the Great Synagogue in Kharkiv, the second-largest shul in Europe, were blown out from the impact of a missile fired by Russian forces which exploded in a nearby mall on Wednesday night.

There were about 100 Jews sheltering in the basement of the shul at the time of the incident.

“We recently filled the windows of the first floor with sandbags,” said HaRav Moshe Moskovitz, the Rav of Kharkiv. “We’re afraid for the lives of the Jews who are living in the basement. Most of them are elderly people who can’t leave.”

“Food and medications are running out and we’re trying to bring in supplies despite the danger on the roads. This morning we hired professionals to repair the damage and at the same time, we’re trying to get as many Jews out of the city as possible, with the help of Chabad and the Jewish Federation in Ukraine.”

Chabad Rav HaRav Meir Stambler, who serves as the chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine, said: “So far, 30,000 Jews have been rescued from Kharkiv, Kyiv and other cities in the east and south. I call on every Jew who encounters a problem and needs to be rescued to call the rescue center of the Jewish Federation and Chabad at 0800750231.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)