The surviving Jews of Rostov will eat matzohs this Passover, for the first time in five years. Machinery for baking the unleavened bread, which was hidden at the approach of the Nazis, has been unearthed and is once more in use.
The synagogue at Rostov, which was desecrated and partly destroyed by the Nazis has been restored and is in full use again. A new wing has been added to the two-story stone building and the interior has been enlarged to accommodate one thousand worshippers.
Two thousand prayer books and a number of torahs have been collected and contributed to the synagogue. A large part of the books were saved by workers at the local museum, who, at the risk of their lives, hid them in cellars and garrets throughout the German occupation of the city.
When the Jewish refugees from the city returned, a small congregation began meeting at the home of Wolf Lipkowitz, chairman of the Jewish community. After a while the group grew too large for Lipkowitz’ home and they rented a private hall in which they held services. With the aid of the Council on Religious Affairs of the Regional Soviet and individual Jews of the community, the congregation collected funds and rebuilt their house of worship.
In addition to the synagogue’s restoration, the congregation has also rehabilitated the local Jewish cemetery, which the Nazis had desecrated, and a new burial society has been organized. Funds are also being collected to erect a monument in memory of the martyred Jews of the city.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
