After years of decline: Gomel tries to bring Jewish life back to the center

The Jewish community in Gomel, Belarus, is receiving a significant boost: Menachem Mendel Kot and his family are moving to the city to expand community, educational, and spiritual activities ahead of the Tishrei holidays. The move, supported by Russia's Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar, aims to restore the city, once a vibrant Jewish cultural hub, to its status as an active Jewish center in the country's southeast.

The Jewish community in Gomel, Belarus, a city that was once a major Jewish cultural and spiritual center in Eastern Europe, is receiving a significant boost. Menachem Mendel Kot and his family are moving to the city to expand community, educational, and spiritual activities. Kot comes from a family with experience in the field; his father, Rabbi Shmuel Kot, serves as the Chief Rabbi of Estonia. The move has the support and blessing of Russia's Chief Rabbi, Berel Lazar. A community infrastructure already operates in Gomel, led by community chairman Yosef Zholdov, who welcomed the new family. The move comes at the height of preparations for the Tishrei holidays, and the family is expected to organize cultural events, community gatherings, and holiday prayers for hundreds of community members. The stated goal is to re-establish Gomel as an active Jewish center in southeastern Belarus, alongside the communities in Minsk and other major cities.