Triguboff organisation opens new office in the Ukraine
A new branch of the “Shorashim” organisation established by the Triguboff Institute will open in the Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk later this month.
Sydney-based Harry Triguboff visits the Moscow based Archipova Synagogue
“Shorashim” was established by the Triguboff Institute and Tzohar in order to aid Jews in Israel to prove their Jewish ancestry. The new “Shorashim” office in Dnepropetrovsk is to prepare the newcomers to guide and counsel them in all aspects of their personal legal status as Jews in their new state. Candidates for Aliyah will be assisted in establishing their Jewish lineage to the Bet Din as required in Israel while they are in their preparatory stage in the Ukraine. This shall prevent entangling situations of inability to prove one’s Judaism which tend to become more complex once emigrating and leaving and all documents and material possessions behind and afar. “Non-Halachic” Jews will be assisted in exploring alternative options that will enable them to shorten procedures to join the Jewish collective while in Israel.
The delegation will be composed of Rabbi David Stav, President of the “Tzohar” Organization, Shalom Norman, Executive Director of the Triguboff Institute, Major Gen (res) Elazar Stern & Ori Schechter, recently appointed Director of the “Shorashim” together with organization and media representatives. The local branch will aid Ukrainian Jews with regard of clarifying their Jewish status and initiation of processes to establish their status as Jews upon arrival to Israel.
The Dnepropetrovsk Triguboff office follows the active offices in Moscow and Kiev inaugurated in 2012.
The Crimean crisis in the beginning of 2014 created an emergency situation for the Jews who live in East Ukraine, on both economic and security aspects. As a result, by 2014 the Aliyah rate from Ukraine has multiplied by over 300% (2000 in 2013 vs. 5920 in 2014). Halacha only recognizes matrilineal descent, unlike Israeli Law of Return which recognizes also patrilineal Jewish descent or marriage to a Jew for eligibility of Israeli Citizenship. As a result, the non-Halachic Jews encountered difficulties in fields of marital rights and unions, controlled by orthodox Chief Rabbinate in Israel, and were alienated and defined as “non-Jews” by parts of Israeli society.
The delegation is also due to meet with Jewish community leaders in Kiev and Dnepropetrovsk. It will also meet with the local “Shorashim” center workers in the Kiev Office, understand the challenges they face and the personal stories they encounter. The delegation participants are hopefully expected to bring the complexity of the personal Jewish status of these people to the center of Israeli public agenda and to the attention and actions of decision makers in the State of Israel.
Harry Triguboff helped many thousands of Jews in Sydney by assisting Rabbi Pinchus Feldman educate newly arrived refugees at the Yeshiva Schools.
Now he is again assisting Russian Jews in this latest venture.
Mazel Tov Harry for your generosity.