A large Hanukkah menorah placed in the main square of a Ukrainian city was knocked off its hinges in an anti-Semitic attack during the Jewish Festival of Lights.
The incident in the central city of Dnipro was captured by local security cameras, which showed five young individuals approaching the menorah before knocking it down.
According to Dnipro’s chief Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky, the incident is an abnormal occurrence in the city, which is home to a large and bustling Jewish community.
“The incident is being examined and local law enforcement is working to apprehend those responsible,” said Kamenetsky.
“This is not an ordinary case for Dnipro, it just reminds us that we are still in exile. The city has a large concentration of Jews, thus quite Jewish in nature,” the rabbi added.
“I hope they get caught, that we know who did this. It is important to mention that the city has dozens of menorahs... and this is the only case that happened… We completely trust the local security services,” Kamenetsky said.
The incident comes two months after Ukraine's parliament passed a law defining the very concept of anti-Semitism, and establishing punishment for any transgressions.