(c) Jewish Confederation of Ukraine
The Jewish Confederation of Ukraine voiced outrage following an attack on the Mariupol synagogue by an axe-wielding vandal this past Tuesday. The incident occurred on the eve of one of the Jewish calendar’s holiest days, Tisha B’Av, which marks the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem.
The synagogue’s security guard is being hailed as a hero after he successfully fought off the armed attacker. Media reports indicated that the perpetrator later returned, this time throwing feces at the building.
In response to the attack, the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine expressed its outrage, saying, “It is noteworthy that a criminal who broke into a synagogue attacked Jews with an axe in his hand, as the thugs of the past did. And it is symbolic that this attack was committed on the eve of the most tragic day for the Jews, the ninth of Av.
“Fortunately, this time, thanks to the courage of the synagogue guard, the tragedy did not happen. However, this brutal crime must be urgently investigated, and the perpetrator found and punished.
“The whole Jewish community of Ukraine demands this. This is what everyone who cares about interethnic and interfaith peace in Ukraine wants.”