Kiev, Ukraine – The Jewish community of Ukraine is openly embracing the Ukrainian Government’s decision to transfer Sifrei Torah stored in government archives to Jewish communities. The ongoing dispute on this theme broke out about two years ago, when Zhitomir officials confiscated Torah scrolls and religious books from the local Jewish community, voicing absurd claims about its alleged neglect toward historically valuable property.

Since then, Chief Rabbi of Zhitomir Shlomo Wilhelm, along with other Chabad Lubavitch emissaries and Jewish community leaders, fought hard so that these Torah scrolls and religious books would be returned to their rightful and historic home – the local Jewish community.

As well, Rabbi Yehoshua Raskin of Khmelnitskiy and businessman Moshe Anapolsky repeatedly spoke before governmental committees, advocating for the repatriation of these holy Jewish items. They explained the Jewish community’s position that Jewish property should not be collecting dust on the shelves of state archives, but should instead be used to benefit those who observe the traditions of the Jewish people.

Thanks to the concerted and collective efforts of all these Jewish activists, their initiative has finally born fruit. The Government of Ukraine has, at last, adopted a logical solution with the decision to transfer these holy texts back to their respective Jewish communities. The Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS congratulates Jews of Ukraine on this momentous resolution.

(Source: FJC)