The authorities in Ukraine have decided to increase the security around all synagogues throughout the country – to eliminate any possibility of violence or damage to them due to the increase in anti-Semitism around the world in the face of the war in Israel.
It should be noted, however, that especially in recent years, Ukraine is considered one of the safest places in Europe for Jews, and anti-Semitic incidents there are few. Despite this, and in accordance with the request of the “Federation of Jewish Communities in Ukraine” (FJCU) from the authorities in Kyiv, the local police decided to place a guard outside all synagogues and Jewish institutions in the country – even in communities where there is no permanent rabbi and who do not hold regular prayers and activities.
Rabbi Meir Stambler, chairman of the Federation, said: “The security that will be increased in Ukraine is no small thing, because the war caused the manpower among the security forces to reach the limit of their capacity. On behalf of the 180 Jewish communities throughout Ukraine, the rabbis of the cities and Chabad envoys, I express my gratitude to the Ukrainian police and the office of President Zelensky, the Ministry of the Interior and the regional and local authorities for their swift activity on the issue. I hope that other countries will do the same.”
