Ukrainian Oligarch Igor Kolomoisky Donates Torah Scroll to Vinnytsia Jewish Community

A ceremonial completion of a Torah scroll took place in Dnipro, Ukraine, dedicated to oligarch and philanthropist Igor Kolomoisky, also known as "Igor ben Zoya." The Torah was donated in honor of Kolomoisky's well-being and longevity, and it was subsequently transported approximately 600 kilometers to the Jewish community in Vinnytsia, led by Chabad emissary Rabbi Shaul Horowitz. This community, which has suffered from a shortage of Torah scrolls for years, welcomed the donation as a significant spiritual boost.

The event was held at the Menorah Jewish Center in Dnipro, often called the "capital of Ukrainian Jewry," and was led by Rabbi Moshe Weber. Speakers included Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetsky, chief rabbi of Dnipro, Rabbi Shaul Horowitz of Vinnytsia, and community leader Yitzhak Friedman. They emphasized the importance of the Torah scroll for strengthening Jewish unity and fulfilling the mission of "repairing the world under God's sovereignty."

Kolomoisky, a prominent Ukrainian-Jewish businessman and former governor of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, is known for his influential role in Ukrainian politics and economics, including backing volunteer battalions against pro-Russian separatists and supporting President Volodymyr Zelensky's rise. Despite recent controversies leading to the nationalization of his bank, international sanctions, and his detention in Ukraine, his philanthropic gesture was warmly received.

The Torah scroll was written by the National Center for Soferim in Ukraine under Rabbi Reuven Margolin, with many community members participating in writing letters. After the scroll's completion, it was ceremoniously paraded through Dnipro's historic Jewish quarter to the central synagogue, "Shoshanat HaZahav." Rabbi Horowitz highlighted the community's previous reliance on a single Torah scroll, which made religious observances challenging, and expressed deep gratitude to the Dnipro Jewish community and Rabbi Kaminetsky for their support, especially during these difficult times marked by war and displacement.

The donation strengthens ties between the Jewish communities of Dnipro and Vinnytsia and supports hundreds of refugee families residing in Vinnytsia since the war began.