Jewish-Ukrainian soldier and aspiring Michelin-star chef, Tzvi-Hirsch (Grisha) Zvergzde, was killed on the battlefield on Thursday, making him the third Jewish soldier to die fighting for Ukraine in the last two weeks.

The Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine told the Jerusalem Post that Zvergzde, 32, was killed while serving in the 34th Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which is responsible for defending the Black Sea from invasions.

Zvergzde was married and father to 4-year-old Alisa and 5-year-old Lev. Hailing from Odessa, he was a chef by profession and dreamed of opening the first kosher restaurant in Europe with a Michelin star in Odessa, FJCU told the Post. He was also a graduate of the Chabad Jewish School in Odessa. 

Yaakov Sinyakov, the coordinator for Jewish soldiers on FJCU, was informed of Zvergzde's death by the Ukrainian army. The rabbi ensured the army did not carry out an autopsy on the body - which is typically the case with Ukrainian soldier deaths - and that a proper Jewish funeral would take place. Zvergzde was laid to rest on Friday in Odessa, in a funeral overseen by Rabbi Avraham Wolff, the Chabad emissary and Chief Rabbi of the city and southern Ukraine.

Emergency workers extinguish fires in the debris of a private house that was destroyed in a Russian rocket strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Markhalivka, Kyiv region, Ukraine, May 25, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/THOMAS PETER)
Emergency workers extinguish fires in the debris of a private house that was destroyed in a Russian rocket strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Markhalivka, Kyiv region, Ukraine, May 25, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/THOMAS PETER)

'Jewish gentleness and extraordinary courage'

Rabbi Wolff eulogized Zvergzde, saying, "Tzvi-Hirsch was everyone’s son — a student in our school, a member of our community, and a soldier who defended his homeland with his life."

"He combined Jewish gentility with extraordinary courage," he added. "Our hearts are with his family — his wife Anastasia, his children Lev and Alisa, his mother Yevgenia Yitzhakovna, and his sisters."

"We will always remember him with love and sorrow. The entire community is mourning, praying for his soul, and embracing his family during this painful time.”

Rabbi Meir Stambler, Chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities, stated that an estimated 200 Jewish fighters have died in the nearly 3.5 year war. He said his federation assists with Jewish burials together with Chabad emissaries from across the country. It also supports the families of the fallen financially, and holds prayers and recitations of Kaddish for the "souls of the heroes.”

Two other fallen Jewish soldiers

Zvergzde's death follows the deaths of two other Jewish soldiers: Andrey (Vitaliovich) Kurovskiy last week and Maksym Nelipa two weeks ago.

Kurovskiy, who was from the city of Zhytomyr, died of a heart attack during a Russian assault on the trenches where he was stationed, FJCU told the Post. He was a drone operator and had previously been wounded in combat, but chose to return to the front following his rehabilitation.

Kurovskiy was a teacher who taught at the Or Avner – Chabad School in Zhytomyr for over 20 years.

“Andrey was one of our most veteran teachers at the school,” said Rabbi Shlomo Wilhelm, Chabad emissary and Chief Rabbi of Zhytomyr and Western Ukraine. “In his work, he oversaw all computer-based learning. He was a computer science teacher, a programmer, and had a great passion for the field. He was truly dedicated and committed to educational work at the school for many years.”

Maksym Nelipa, 44, was a well-known journalist and TV host. He was killed in the line of duty in eastern Ukraine. Nelipa was wounded not long ago in January 2025 in Dnipro and was hospitalized, but chose to return to fighting. He was recently promoted to company commander.

His son Artyom serves in the IDF’s Golani Brigade and received the news of his father's death while stationed in Gaza.

The FJCU worked to find a Jewish burial plot in a military cemetery in Kyiv and ensured his body would not be cremated, which is the protocol of the Russian army. 

Ukrainian media covered his death extensively, and numerous journalists and politicians published condolences.

“Every casualty is another reminder of the price we pay for freedom and for the right to remain Jewish on Ukrainian soil,” Rabbi Wolff said, urging world Jewry to “stand with us in prayer and practical help until peace prevails.” 

Jewish burials in Ukraine

Rabbi Yonatan Markovitch, the chief rabbi of Kyiv and chief rabbi of the Ukrainian Prison Service, previously told the Post that “When a Jewish soldier falls in battle, a race against time begins to ensure a proper Jewish burial before the army’s cremation procedures are carried out."

The Ukrainian military’s standard practice of cremating fallen soldiers presents a halachic issue, as cremation is not allowed in Jewish law.

Rabbi Markovitch told the Post that the army tries to cremate the bodies so that people don’t have to see the brutal way in which the soldier might have been killed.

However, he said that despite the normative protocol, the Ukrainian army tries very hard to respect and honor all religions. “If there is a religion that is forbidden to bury or forbidden to cremate, then they really want to honor that for the benefit of the soldiers, for the benefit of the people, and for the benefit of religion.”

He added that despite geographical distance and different circumstances between Israel and Ukraine, “we share mutual responsibility and a joint commitment to ensure that every Jewish soldier, wherever he may be, is granted their final honor in accordance with Jewish mesorah (tradition) and halacha.”