A Molotov cocktail was thrown at a synagogue in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, on Saturday night, raising alarm in the Jewish community amid a series of disturbing antisemitic incidents.
The attack came just days after a Jewish community vehicle was vandalized in the same city. According to Chabad emissary and city rabbi Liron Edri, advanced protective measures installed at the synagogue in recent months prevented the firebomb from causing a major blaze or resulting in casualties.
“This was a direct attack on the Jewish community,” Rabbi Edri told The Jerusalem Post. “Thankfully, the reinforced windows held up, and the firebomb didn’t make it inside. But the message was loud and clear.”
The synagogue’s security system – funded by Chabad’s international security arm, Chabad World Assistance (CWA), and installed with support from the Jewish Agency’s Security Fund – includes shatter-resistant windows, surveillance cameras, and a rapid-response alarm network. These upgrades were credited with averting what could have been a catastrophic incident, according to CWA’s Ukraine security coordinator Elia Goldberg.
“The shielding we installed saved lives,” Goldberg said. “It’s a reminder that preemptive protection is not just important, it’s essential.”
Local police have launched an investigation into the attack. The synagogue was quickly inspected by Ukrainian security forces, who promised to pursue leads and apprehend those responsible.
Second antisemitic incident in a week
Just days earlier, vandals slashed the tires of a community vehicle clearly marked with Jewish symbols, defaced those symbols with paint, and poured chemicals across the car’s body.
“The vandalism was clearly targeted,” Edri said. “There was nothing random about it.”
Edri noted that the methods used in this week’s firebombing were similar to those seen in a recent attack on a synagogue in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. “We’re starting to fear that this may not be isolated,” he said. “There seems to be a growing pattern of coordinated attempts to intimidate and harm Jewish communities in Eastern Europe.”
These incidents occur against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, which has fueled political instability, rising nationalist rhetoric, and antisemitic discourse in some regions.
Despite the threats, Chabad continues to operate its programs in Kryvyi Rih.
“We won’t be intimidated,” said Edri. “Light will overcome darkness. We will keep our doors open, and our community will continue to gather and pray.”
He also thanked local authorities for their swift response. “The police arrived immediately and took the matter seriously,” he said. “They’ve promised to investigate and bring those responsible to justice.”