Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine:
Kherson.
Chairman of the community: Yossef Itzhak Wolff
Tel: +38 (0552) 46-15-25, 46-15-45
e-mail: [email protected]
Address: Gorkogo St., 27, Kherson
Community history
The Chabad Synagogue was built in 1895 on the site of the old one, marked on the plan of 1855 on the street Vittovskaya, 21 (now Gorky St., 27). In the early twentieth century it was attended by 1,500 people. At this address was a large complex community of Chabad and in the yard to the left of the synagogue a small Chabad 2 synagogue located («The other room"), designed for adherents of the faith. It was attended by 300 people. To the right of the main entrance of a large synagogue the Hebrew Benevolent Society House was located (Gorky, 29).
Synagogue functioned until 1941. During the occupation of the Nazi both synagogues were destroyed (incinerated).
In 1947 the Chabad 1 synagogue has been restored and refurbished in 1952 to be the dormitory of Petrovsky factory. It was used for the needs of other agencies, in particular the treatment of alcoholic patients.
Autumn 1990 the synagogue reopened. The building was handed over to the Chabad Jewish religious community. It was the regional center of the revival of Jewish culture and religion.
In 1999 the building was repaired and in 2003-2005 a complete internal reconstruction with an extension to the south of the new building was done.
The Jewish community resumed its activities in 1991 when Abraham Wolff became the Chief Rabbi of Kherson region. He spent several years in Kherson, now he is the chief rabbi of Odessa and Southern Ukraine and Yossef Itzhak Wolff became the Chief Rabbi of Kherson and the area. Today the Jewish population of Kherson is about 8,000 people. Most of them, one way or another connected with the activities of the community. Children attend a Jewish school and kindergarten, adults - clubs and lectures.
The community tries to keep up with the times: computer courses, lectures on communication. But the main task is the preservation and revival of Jewish traditions and religious education is being fulfilled in the Torah Institute and yeshiva.