JTA - 05.16.2003

Ukraine synagogue to reopen

(JTA) —  A major synagogue in Ukraine is set to officially reopen after years of renovation. The Bet Menachem Great Choral Synagogue, named after the late Lubavitch rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, will reopen at a ceremony Monday in the city of Kharkov. Described as the largest synagogue in Europe when it was erected in 1913, the synagogue was nationalized by Soviet authorities 10 years later and turned into a sports complex. The Jewish community reclaimed the building in 1990. Since then, it has been restored not only as a house of worship but has come to house an orphanage, kindergarten, yeshiva, community center and medical clinic. Intensive renovation and reconstruction work began in 1998, largely due to the sponsorship of the U.S.-based Rohr Foundation, as well as partners from the former Soviet Union, including diamond mogul Lev Leviev and Kharkov community leaders.