My final letter to the Jews of Stavropol

To the wonderful Jews of Stavropol,

The last year and a half has been a time of tremendous growth for my family and me. We left our comfortable lives in Canada, close to our parents, our friends, kosher food and Jewish life and traveled across the world to dedicate our lives to the development of Jewish communal life for the many Jews of Stavropol.

We thought we came to teach, but we didn’t expect to learn so much, and meet so many wonderful people who would become our friends and community. In just over a year, we ourselves learnt so much, and not just the Russian language and culture.

What we learnt inspired us, and continues to teach us.

We saw a hundred Jews get together for our holidays and dance to Jewish music, we put up 5 Mezuzas in different residences and one Mezuza on the door of a prominent Stavropol business. Two Bar Mitzvahs and two upsherens were celebrated, and many Jewish children were taught about our heritage, traditions and culture.

We saw wealthier people from the community reach out to assist their brothers in need, with money, food and medicine.

We watched as week after week Jews got together every Friday night to pray, eat, and take in Shabbat together. We learnt weekly Torah classes and Jewish culinary arts. Every Friday many Jewish businessmen would stop work to don Tefillin.

A Sefer Torah was brought into our city which belongs to the Jewish community of Stavropol, and we saw 200 Jews gather to welcome it with tears in their eyes, and dance proudly in the streets for the first time in close to a century.

Circumstances changed all that and we are now forced to continue our lives back where we started, in Montreal. We still haven’t come to terms with the reality and we miss our community so much, but we know that all that was done was not for nothing.

Physically we may not be there to assist in any way, but it was proven that kosher can be kept at an economical price – why we even made an entire restaurant kosher for a day! It’s safe to walk in the streets proudly as a Jew, and even Shabbat can be kept in Stavropol.

I was sent to Stavropol by Rabbi Lazar, and my objective was to establish Jewish communal infrastructure. I didn’t get that far, but the goal can be continued. The community can rally together and demand the return of our Synagogue (and perhaps even our Torah scroll which can be seen in the Lermontova library), to be used as a community center as well.

The old cemetery can be cleaned up, and a new plot of land bought. With the help of the wealthier members of the community, a board of trustees to finance community projects can be put together. They can help organize a ‘Khevra Kaddisha’, soup kitchen and different clubs. While Moscow will help out financially, ultimately it is up to the Jews of Stavropol to decide their own fate and future, and it can be done. Already the work has been started, and it can continue.

Read more about our culture and people. Jewish.ru is a good place to start if you have internet access. And when you understand what it’s all about, start trying to observe the Mitzvahs.

A month ago, I met with Rabbi Lazar and told him that should the situation ever change and my family be allowed to return, we will pick ourselves up and come back to the community that our hearts grew to love. This remains true, and if anyone can do anything to facilitate our return, we would be most grateful.

We may be far away, but we will always be thinking of you. And if there is ever anything we can do to help, I give you my contact information. Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments, and should you ever visit Montreal, please let us know so we can welcome you with open arms.

My contact information (the best way to get ahold of me is through email):

Rabbi Zvi Hershcovich
4607 Vezina
Montreal, Quebec

Home telephone: +1-514-341-6399
Mobile telephone: +1-514-621-9253

Email: rabbizvi44@yahoo.com

I am also on odnoklassniki.ru and vkontakte.ru where there are discussions in the group ‘Stavropolski Evrei’.

I miss you all, and someday we will all meet in Jerusalem (when Moshiach comes).

Your Rabbi,
Zvi.








I write this on the blog to hear your thoughts. This is what is going to go out in the mail to the entire community early next week iy"h. Any input would be appreciated.

P.S. The picture above is going in the letter.