JTA reports that Boris Slobodnyuk, a Ukrainian Christian who is working to save the dilapidated, 16th-century fortress synagogue in Sataniv,was honored at an interaith forum in Kiev.
It said Slobodnyuk received the forum’s 2013 Crystal Noah Tolerance Award on Tuesday at the Kiev Interfaith Forum for initiating renovation works on the synagogue.
Oleksandr Feldman, a Ukrainian Jewish lawmaker who founded the forum in 2010, said Slobodnyuk, who is in his 50s, prevented area residents from taking apart the structure and last year secured funding from Jewish organizations to restore the ancient synagogue. He acted out of an inner sense of responsibility and for no pay, according to the committee that gave Slobodnyuk the prize.
With help from Arthur Friedman, a Jewish leader in the Khmelnitsky region, Slobodnyuk plans to help carry out renovation work next year on the rotten foundations of the structure, a former fortress and one of the largest synagogues in Ukraine. Interior repairs are scheduled to begin later.
There are hopes for a synagogue rededication in 2016.
“My message is, if you can’t help, at least don’t destroy,” Slobodnyuk told the crowd of 300-odd Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Muslims and Buddhists who attended the two-day gathering on “Faith’s Role in State, Government and Politics.” The participants are scheduled to visit the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday.
1 comment on “Award to Ukrainian who’s restoring 16th century Sataniv synagogue”
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