Tzvi-Hirsh (Grisha) Zurgazda, a 32-year-old father of two and a beloved member of the kehilla in Odessa, was killed in combat last Thursday while serving on the front lines near Kherson. He is the third Jewish soldier to fall in Ukraine’s ongoing war within the past two weeks.

Zurgazda served in the Ukrainian army’s 34th Brigade, which is responsible for defending key areas in the country’s southern region, including coastal defenses near the Black Sea. A proud Jew and graduate of Odessa’s Or Avner-Chabad school, Zurgazda remained deeply connected to Torah even while in uniform.

Before the war, he worked as a professional chef and often spoke of his dream to open Odessa’s first Michelin-starred kosher restaurant—an ambition put on hold by the ongoing conflict.

“Tzvi-Hirsh was a true ben Torah and a cherished child of our community,” said Rabbi Avraham Wolf, Chief Rabbi of Odessa and Southern Ukraine. “He gave his life al kiddush Hashem—not only in defense of his country, but as a Jew who never let go of his roots. Our hearts are broken.”

Zurgazda is survived by his wife and two young children: Elissa, age four, and Lev, age five. His levaya is expected to take place later this week in Odessa, with Rabbi Wolf and members of the local kehillah in attendance. Efforts to waive an autopsy and arrange a proper halachic burial were coordinated by Yakov Sinyakov of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU).

His petirah comes amid a string of recent Jewish casualties on the battlefield. Just last week, Andrey Korovetsky, a teacher at the Chabad school in Zhytomyr, died after suffering a cardiac arrest on the front lines, having previously returned to duty after an injury. And two weeks ago, Maxim Nelipa, a well-known Jewish journalist and actor, was killed in combat in eastern Ukraine. His son Artyom, currently serving in the IDF’s Golani Brigade, received word of his father’s death while stationed in Gaza.

According to Rabbi Meir Stambler, chairman of the FJCU, over 200 Jewish soldiers have lost their lives since the start of the war. “We continue to work closely with Chabad shluchim to ensure kavod hameis, offer financial assistance to families, and arrange for Kaddish and support in their memory,” he said.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)