Fire in Hadiach: Complex at the Grave of the Chabad Founder Destroyed
A massive fire broke out Friday night at the tomb complex of the founder of the Chabad Hasidic movement, Rabbi Schneur Zalman (the "Baal HaTanya"), in the Ukrainian city of Hadiach. The blaze completely destroyed the central building and the synagogue.
A massive fire broke out Friday night, near midnight, at the tomb complex of the founder of the Chabad Hasidic movement, the Admor HaZaken Rabbi Schneur Zalman, the "Baal HaTanya" (of blessed memory), in the city of Hadiach, Ukraine. The fire completely consumed the central building of the complex, including the synagogue that operated there, and caused heavy damage to the kitchen and hospitality facilities.
The damage is estimated at millions of dollars, and the central structure has been effectively destroyed. Rescue teams worked at the scene to bring the flames under control, while security and firefighting forces have launched an investigation. At this stage, all leads are being examined, with the initial assessment pointing to an electrical short circuit.
Representatives of the complex were quick to reassure the public, noting that, thank God, there were no casualties. The Chabad emissary at the site, Rabbi Schneur Deitch, and his family are safe.
This is the second-largest prayer site for Jews in Ukraine. Before the war, it hosted tens of thousands of visitors annually. Even today, in the shadow of the war, about 10,000 people visit per year—about a third of them during the yahrzeit (hilula) in the month of Tevet (December/January). The rest are local Jews, organized groups, and tourists from Israel, Europe, and the USA, who endure a 12-to-15-hour drive after landing in Chisinau.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman was born in Liozna, Belarus, in 1745 and founded the Chabad movement. In 1812, he fled his home in Lyady, Belarus, due to the Russian-French war. While en route to Kremenchuk, Ukraine, he fell ill and passed away on December 26, 1812. He was buried in Hadiach, Poltava region. In the early 1990s, the Lubavitcher Rebbe sent special emissaries to restore the grave, which has since become a major pilgrimage site.
The spacious complex, established nearly 20 years ago, had been under continuous development. The site included a large synagogue, a mikvah, dozens of guest rooms, a kitchen, and spacious dining halls. Rabbi Schneur Zalman Deitch, the rabbi of Hadiach who oversees the complex, was not in the city at the time of the fire.
