The Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry reported today that local Soviet police in the small village of Zhmerinka, west of Vinnitsa in the Ukraine, broke up a Chanukah minyan and celebration which was held in a private house, The names of the participants were recorded by the police who claimed that gatherings of this sort were against the law unless prior official permission was given. The Chanukah celebrants explained that although they had applied several times to have this house considered as an official place of worship, their requests had been turned down for unexplained reasons.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.