The Jewish community in Zhitomir mourns the loss of Wolf (Maxim) Boligin, who died while serving his country. Maxim was a beloved member of the community and a graduate of the Or Avner schools in Zhitomir. The local leader, Rabbi Shlomo Wilhelm commented, "When the war began, he was immediately drafted. This is a very special soul who grew up on the knees of the Jewish community, and this is a very great loss. On the eve of last Yom Kippur, he was released for a few days. Of course we met and I placed tefillin on him.”
Rabbi Wilhelm noted that Maxim’s grandmother worked for Or Avner for 25 years, “with extraordinary dedication, and Maxim’s mother was also very active in the local Jewish life.” Maxim himself had been an active participant in the Jewish community, regularly attending synagogue services and events.
Sadly, Maxim is not the first Jewish soldier to be lost during the ongoing crisis: Leonid Krasnov and Vladislav from Dnipro, along with Artyom Reznik from Kharkiv have also given made the ultimate sacrifice. May the memories of each one of these individuals be blessings upon their families and friends, and we continue to hope and pray for a peaceful resolution to bring an end to the suffering.
Together we save lives and restore hope.
