WASHINGTON, D.C. December 22, 2016

FROM: Mark B. Levin, CEO
Daniel Rubin, chairman
Alexander Smuckler, president

In the early morning of December 21 the site of the tomb of Hassidic Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in Uman Ukraine was desecrated with a pig’s head with a carved swastika and red paint. Two attackers entered the synagogue, sprayed tear gas and shouted anti-Semitic epithets at the worshipers.

Worshipers visit the site throughout the year, especially during Rosh Hashanah, and hold services at the rabbi’s grave at all hours.

The response from the Ukrainian government was quick and forceful. At a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, prime minister Volodymyr Groysman urged the National Police to do everything possible to catch the attackers, appealing to interior minister Arsen Avakov “to find those bastards and punish them… If someone approaches religious buildings, churches, synagogues, mosques with hateful thoughts, he is the enemy of our state and the enemy of the Ukrainian people.” The police have opened criminal proceedings (incitement of national, racial or religious enmity and hatred) and the attorney general has taken personal control of the investigation.

NCSEJ was in contact with the US embassy in Kiev, who were already engaged with the Ukrainian authorities on the incident. We are also in contact with the local Jewish community, through NCSEJ’s Kiev representative, and the Ukrainian embassy in Washington. Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. Valeriy Chaly issued the following statement:

Ukraine denounces resolutely the incident near the gravesite of Rabbi Nachman in Uman and launches thorough investigation into the case.

Ukraine remains committed to building and maintaining an environment that is free from any form of discrimination, intolerance and harassment, where all members of the society enjoy all the democratic rights and freedoms.

While denouncing in most resolute terms the deplorable desecration of synagogue near the gravesite of Rabbi Nachman in Uman on December 21st, the government of Ukraine has launched a comprehensive investigation into the incident in order to identify and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Prosecutor general of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko has taken the investigation under his personal control having stressed the inadmissibility of anti-Semitism and religious intolerance and calling it an anti-Ukrainian provocation. Under the criminal code of Ukraine the perpetrators of this brazen attack are subjected to be sentenced to up to 8 years in prison.

Earlier NCSEJ issued a statement condemning the attacks.

We will continue to keep you informed about further developments.

About NCSEJ

Founded in 1971, NCSEJ represents the organized American Jewish community in monitoring and advocating on behalf of the estimated 1.5 million Jews in Eastern Europe and Eurasia, including the 15 successor states of the former Soviet Union.