Ukrainian Jewish man dies in devastating Russian missile strike

The attack was one of the deadliest since hostilities began with 122 missiles and 36 suicide drones launched by the Russian military.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The Jewish community of Kharkiv, Ukraine was shaken by the loss of 30-year-old Artem Reznik this weekend amid one of the most devastating missile attacks since the beginning of the war with Russia, Ynet reported.

Chabad emissary in Kharkiv Rabbi Moshe Moskowitz expressed grief over the loss, “This is a very painful tragedy, we are all mourning the disaster.”

Artem Reznik’s funeral was scheduled to take place on Monday.

The attack that killed Artem Reznik was one of the deadliest since hostilities began with 122 missiles and 36 suicide drones launched by the Russian military.

However, the Jewish community has resolved to carry on and will go ahead with three circumcision ceremonies this week for Jewish men aged 15, 40 and 75.

Rabbi Moskowitz said, “Now these brit milah will have a different meaning when we say ‘In your blood, my life.”

Rabbi Moskowitz isn’t alone in having to sustain a Jewish community under fire.

“The rabbis and emissaries of Chabad have been continuously managing the communities in emergency mode for almost two years and simply safeguarding the communities. Their dedication is indescribable,” according to Jewish Relief Network Ukraine (JRNU), the largest Jewish network in the country.

Chief rabbi of Zaporizhzhya and Chabad emissary Rabbi Nachum Ehrentreu described the impact of missile strikes on his community.

“By God’s mercy, our community is fine. It was an extremely significant attack. Missiles struck our facility, resulting in casualties and injuries. There was also an attempt to target the power infrastructure.”

The community heard rocket explosions for hours and took shelter until the danger subsided.

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Wolf of Kherson discussed the daily tension in the city over the past two years.

“Every single day in our city is filled with unrest. What sets us apart is that we don’t have any warning alarms here. The only alarm we hear is the sound of the missile.”