Pervomaisk, home to more than 100 Jewish families, is celebrating their past and building their future, while at the same time supporting people's daily needs.
Recently, the community gathered for a 25-year anniversary celebration of the revival of Jewish life in Pervomaisk. The town mayor, chief rabbi, and other dignitaries joined the festivities to acknowledge past accomplishments and announce major new projects. The community was reestablished 25 years ago by Rabbi Shalom Gottlieb; in time, Rabbi Levi Yitchak and Chana Perlstein arrived, followed by Rabbi and Shayna Maidanik, all of whom developed and expanded the services and programs.
The Jewish community in Pervomaisk has certainly come a long way, from renting a single room that served as a makeshift synagogue, to leasing an entire building with a kosher kitchen, space to worship, classrooms and an area for children's activities. In March, a Mikvah was built for women, and plans are underway to construct a Jewish community center to serve the surrounding region.
We continue to distribute food, medicine, hygiene and household supplies on a regular basis to sustain the people of Pervomaisk as the crisis continues. On every holiday, community members come together to pray and support one another.
The accomplishments over the past 25 years inspire the residents of Pervomaisk to continue building for a brighter future. With support from donors around the world, we continue to save lives and restore hope.
