"In total shock, the damage is inconceivable": The severe fire at the Chabad complex in Ukraine
A massive fire caused extensive destruction at the grave complex of the Baal HaTanya in Hadiach, Ukraine. Miraculously, there were no casualties, as guests managed to rescue four Torah scrolls from the synagogue before it was destroyed. The local rabbi vows to rebuild an even larger complex.
Documentation arriving in the last day from the city of Hadiach in Ukraine points to the extensive destruction caused by a large fire near the grave of the founder of the Chabad movement, Rabbi Schneur Zalman, the Baal HaTanya.
The city's rabbi and the person in charge of the complex on behalf of the movement, Rabbi Schneur Zalman Deitsch, shared further details about what happened. According to him, it was only by a miracle that there were no casualties. At that time, a large group of guests from Kyiv was staying at the complex for Shabbat, as many groups from Ukraine do, holding special seminars there throughout the year. The guests heroically rescued the four Torah scrolls from the synagogue before it was consumed by fire.
Rabbi Deitsch added:
"We are receiving hundreds of calls of support and encouragement from every point in the world. In the coming days, we will launch an emergency campaign to rehabilitate the terrible ruins and build a new complex. It will take time and much prolonged work, alongside enormous expenses, but with the help of God, 'the glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former.' The complex that was destroyed was large and magnificent and was suitable for hosting many hundreds of guests simultaneously; the one we will restore and build now, with the help of God and the assistance of our people, will be even larger."
Rabbi Deitsch describes the difficult feelings:
"We are in total shock. The entire central structure of the site, into which we invested our heart, soul, and our entire lives, has been consumed by fire. The damage is simply inconceivable; it is very painful. But Hasidim are not deterred by anything, and certainly as an emissary of the Rebbe and the person responsible for this holy complex, I cannot give up. With the help of God, we will find the strength, we will restore everything anew — it will take as much time and money as needed — and we will make it even larger and more beautiful. Thanks to the Holy One, blessed be He, that there are no physical injuries."
Chairman of the Jewish Communities in Ukraine, emissary Rabbi Meir Stambler, who was among the prominent figures who helped over the years in establishing the complex, added:
"We, at the Federation of Jewish Communities in Ukraine (FJCU), are waiting for the final findings of the investigation and are in contact with the authorities. Alongside this, we are preparing to assist with replacement holy books and religious articles, and we are confident that the Jewish public here and around the world will assist in repairing the great damage. I thank the fire services, the mayor of Hadiach, and the regional governor for acting with dedication and following closely what was happening and the extinguishing of the fire, and for their help in restoring the place."
