By COLlive reporter
Photos by Levi Nazarov
With light snow covering the area and bulldozers standing silently, a cornerstone was laid for a new shul and Jewish community center in Mytishchi, a city that lies to the northeast of Russia’s capital Moscow.
The local Jewish community has been founded close to two decades ago and leading it today is Chabad Shliach Rabbi Yohanan Kosenko. As its needs grew, Boruch Bentzion Gurwitz, who has been investing in local real estate, committed to helping it grow.
The new building which Gurwitz is supporting is a six-story structure that will be housing a shul, Mikva, classrooms for study and meetings and spaces for activities.
Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar, who has been guiding the community, thanked Hashem “for the miracles and wonders that we are experiencing in these times, just as in the days of old.”
He extended his blessings that the building is completed very soon, to the delight and enjoyment of all Mytishchi’s Jews who need an active, inviting Jewish community center.
The cornerstone for the building was brought by Gurwitz from an area adjacent to the Ohel of the Tzemach Tzedek and his son, the Rebbe Maharash in the town of Lubavitch. Gurwitz was assisted by Rabbi Yitzchak Kogan, Rabbi of Moscow’s Bolshaya Bronnaya Shul, who also spoke during the event.
Only a small crowd was present due to Covid guidelines of Russia’s Ministry of Health, among the participants were Rabbi Mordechai Weisberg, Director of the Marina Roscha Jewish Community Center in Moscow, Military Chaplain Rabbi Aharon Gurevitch and government representatives. Many more watched it online.
As the ceremony came to a close in the late afternoon, those present joined together to daven Mincha and light the Chanuka candles. They continued on to a Chassidic farbrengen on the shul’s temporary premises.
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