Difficult feelings in the Jewish community in the city of Nikolaev, Ukraine: On Saturday morning, as the first worshippers arrived at the synagogue, they were horrified to discover an attempt to set the synagogue on fire.
On Saturday night, when the community leaders approached the security cameras, they noticed an anti-Semite who had arrived on Holy Saturday night, at 2:08 a.m., who was recorded trying to set the synagogue on fire.
At first, the man was seen approaching and setting fire to the synagogue's main entrance door, which began to burst into flames. Immediately afterward, he threw another Molotov cocktail into one of the synagogue's windows - which began to burn. By personal observation, the cocktail did not penetrate into the synagogue hall itself.
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""For minutes everything was on fire and after a short time, a passing vehicle stopped," the community rabbi and Chabad emissary Rabbi Shalom Gottlieb told the COL website. "The driver of the vehicle got out and began to put out the fire quickly and efficiently, and, thank God, he was able to put out the fire.".
On Shabbat evening, Rabbi Gottlieb gathered the community leaders to discuss the newly created serious situation, in order to decide on courses of action to increase the personal and general security of the Jewish community.
