Almost two years after being forced to flee to Germany in a rescue mission, the Jewish children from the Mishpacha children’s home returned to Odessa in Ukraine and celebrated the inauguration of a new building.
At 15 Italian Street in the city center, the festive ceremony of inaugurating the spacious educational building of Chabad Odessa, ‘Beit Ovadia’, took place. The new building will host the children’s educational system alongside enrichment programs throughout the day.
In response to the difficult situation since the war with Russia broke out, Odessa’s Head Shliach and Chief Rabbi Avraham Wolff, stated, “The number of children taken in by us has increased. If in the past, the boarding house and the school were part of one structure, today it’s an impossible reality.”
“We’ve tried to put maximal effort into this building so that our children from the ‘Family’ orphanage will feel as safe as possible, both psychologically and physically,” added Igor Shatkin, head of the Federation of Jewish Communities in South Ukraine.
During the opening event, Rabbi Wolff affixed mezuzahs to the doorposts. “We didn’t compromise on anything,” Rabbi Wolff said. “The classrooms are equipped with smart boards, each child has a computer, and there’s also a gym and play area for the well-being of all the children.”
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