More than 120 years after the pogroms: the city that placed a sukkah at its center

For the first time, a public sukkah was erected in the heart of Chișinău, at the symbolic 'Kilometer Zero' point, more than 120 years after the pogroms. The initiative attracted Jews, Israelis, and refugees from Ukraine, becoming a symbol of the tightening cooperation between the community and the authorities.

For the first time since the Chișinău pogroms more than 120 years ago, a public sukkah was erected in the heart of Chișinău, the capital of Moldova, at the symbolic 'Kilometer Zero' point. The initiative, by the '770 Chișinău' community, became a major attraction for passersby. Besides local community members, who were able to observe the holiday mitzvah with security and open pride, many Israelis visiting for roots tourism, along with Jewish refugees from Ukraine who found a warm home in Moldova, visited the site. The permit to place the sukkah came following the great success of the Jewish community at the 25th ethno-cultural festival, recently held in the city under the slogan 'Unity in Diversity'. At the booth operated by the community, there was surprisingly lively traffic: alongside locals and traditional minority communities, citizens of Iranian and Syrian origin living in Moldova also showed great interest. Among the notable visitors to the sukkah was the director of the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in Chișinău, Alex Schmidt, who noted with excitement that the sukkah reminds us that even when reality is complex, we continue to unite and believe. The community points to a continuous development boom, including youth and young adult projects, branding Chișinău as an example of Jewish revival and tolerance in Eastern Europe.