Jews Sheltering in Kharkiv Synagogue Narrowly Escape Explosion

Over 100 Jews seeking refuge in the Great Synagogue of Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Thursday escaped tragedy, bechasdei Shamayim, when a bomb exploded in a nearby shopping mall, shattering the shul’s windows, Israel Hayom reported.

“We worry for the lives of the Jews who moved to the basement of the synagogue, most of whom are elderly and cannot leave,” the city’s Chief Rabbi Moshe Moskovitz said.

“We are running out of food and medicine and try to resupply despite the danger on the roads … and try to get as many Jews out of the city as possible with the help of Chabad and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine.”

Rabbi Meir Stambler, who heads the federation said that “30,000 Jews have so far been rescued from Kharkiv, Kyiv and other cities in eastern and northern Ukraine.”