Synagogue in its glory days

Lieberman asked to help save Lviv synagogue

Ukrainian authorities planning to tear down one of Europe's oldest and most beautiful synagogues, which was torched by Nazis in 1941, in favor of hotel. Israeli Foreign Ministry urged to intervene immediately

Ynet|Published: 09.07.11 , 09:07

Oded Feller, honorary consul of Poland in Israel, is urging Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman to help prevent the destruction of the Golden Rose Synagogue in the Ukrainian city of Lviv in favor of a hotel.

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Golden Rose, one of the oldest and most beautiful synagogues in Europe, was built in 1582. Its rabbi was David ha-Levi Segal, one of the greatest Ashkenazi rabbinical authorities in the 17th century, and the writer of "Turei Zahav" – a significant halachic commentary on the Shulchan Aruch (known as the Code of Jewish Law).

The building was torched by the Nazis in 1941, but did not collapse and was later declared a heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

'Disrespect toward Holocaust victims'

Now, what is left of the synagogue is slated to be destroyed, and according to different testimonies, construction work has already begun on the site.

Businessman Oded Feller, a honorary consul of Poland (Lviv was considered part of Poland during World War II, sent an urgent letter addressed to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, demanding that the Israeli Foreign Ministry intervene immediately in light of "the Ukrainian authorities' conduct, and the disrespect toward the history of 420,000 of Lviv's Jewish residents, who were murdered during the Holocaust."

בית כנסת "שושנת הזהב" לאחר שנשרף

Golden Rose Synagogue after being torched

"What we need here is not just a condemnation, but urgent and immediate action to stop any move in the Lviv synagogue site," Feller wrote in his letter to Lieberman. "Moreover, we expect local authorities to allow the full reconstruction of the synagogue and restoring past glory."

Feller noted that the local public, which has been trying to reconstruct the synagogue for years, was not given any notice about its destruction, although the site serves as a "reminder of the place's glorious Jewish community."

He noted that the tombstone of Rabbi David ha-Levi Segal was also desecrated in the past, when a central market was built on the area which used to house the cemetery.