The Jewish cemetery in Kharkiv, Ukraine, was damaged overnight Friday to Saturday, during heavy shelling of the city, according to Chief Rabbi Moshe Moskowitz and community officials. On Sunday, the rabbi visited the site to assess the damage and said the community would work with the mayor on restoration. Initial reports did not include casualties, and the type of munition was not immediately identified.
Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second-largest city, located in the country’s northeast near the Russian border. The regional capital has been under intermittent fire since the start of the war, with neighborhoods and infrastructure periodically hit during wider barrages.
What is known, and what remains unclear
Community leaders said the strike occurred amid a broader barrage that shook multiple neighborhoods overnight. Authorities did not immediately specify whether the cemetery was an intended target or collateral damage, and a formal damage assessment is pending. Religious sites are protected under international humanitarian law unless used for military purposes.
The community noted this is not the first time Jewish sites in Kharkiv have been hit during the war. In March 2022, windows in the city’s Great Synagogue were shattered during bombardment, and days later, a rocket struck the community’s yeshiva building, which also serves as a synagogue and school.
Kharkiv has faced repeated strikes through 2025, with guided bombs and missiles injuring civilians and sparking fires, according to local authorities. Nationwide barrages in November also caused widespread damage and casualties across Ukraine.
‘Life must continue’ as Hanukkah approaches
Despite the damage, the rabbi said Jewish communal life will proceed, adding that the community is preparing for Hanukkah and hopes “the great light will drive out the darkness.” On Sunday, he pledged coordination with the mayor on repairs. “Together with the mayor, we will do everything necessary to restore the damage and, above all, to return honor to the memory of the Jews buried in the cemetery,” he said.