In 1915, the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Shalom Dovber Schneerson (whose birthday is this week, the 20th of MarCheshvan), relocated from Lubavitch in the wake of World War I to the town of Rostov. There the Rebbe Rashab reestablished Chabad's headquarters until his passing in 1920. During this time, there were about 25,000 Jews living in Rostov.
In 1918, with the rise of the new Bolshevik government, Judaism came under attack. Jewish schools were forced to close, studying in Hebrew and Yiddish was outlawed, and Jews were forbidden from keeping Shabbat. Undeterred, the Rebbe Rashab began the task of preserving our vital tradition in the face of religious persecution. Despite increasing antisemitism and restrictions on religious freedom, Rostov became the spiritual capital of Russia.
On August 12, 1942, tragedy struck. The Nazis viciously murdered 27,000 Jews in Rostov in a single massacre at Zmiyovskaya Balka (also known as Russia’s Babi Yar), the single largest mass killing by the Nazis in Russia. The once vibrant Jewish community was virtually obliterated.
In 2008, Rabbi Chaim Danzinger and his dedicated wife, Kaila, inspired by the history of Rostov and the heroism of its people, sold all their belongings and moved with their two young children from their home in Pasadena, California to make a new, permanent home in Rostov. Their mission? To serve its remaining 15,000 Jews' material and spiritual needs.
With the generous support and encouragement of people around the globe, the community reestablished itself as a vibrant hub of Jewish life—dynamic, active, and flourishing. They celebrate Jewish weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, brit milah and enjoy Shabbat and Jewish Holidays with the community. They operate a day school, 150-year-old historical synagogue, soup kitchen, a national special needs organization, camps and many other vital programs. Rostov is once again a welcome home for Jews and Judaism.
Adapted from jewishrostov.com and Chabadinfo
