Zelensky receives a place of honor in Kyiv synagogue: photo
25 March 05:17
In the central synagogue of Kyiv, one of the seats in the front rows is reserved for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The first official rabbi of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, David Milman, told DW.
“In the large prayer hall of the central synagogue of Kyiv, the Brodsky Synagogue, all the seats are named and assigned to certain people. Among them is the seat of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The chair of the President of Ukraine is in the front row and is located on the right side.
However, Milman noted that when the president is not present, any other visitor to the synagogue can take this seat.
“When there is no owner, anyone can sit here,” the rabbi explains.
As you know, in 2020, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he did not grow up in an Orthodox family, but in an “ordinary Soviet Jewish family.”
Zelensky noted that “most Jewish families in the Soviet Union were not religious and there was no religion in the Soviet state as such.” In order to honor the memory of the victims of Babyn Yar in Kyiv, Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits the memorial annually on the anniversary of the tragedy.
In an interview with The Times of Israel, Volodymyr Zelenskyy admitted that he believes in God and turns to Him in personal moments. At the same time, he prefers not to speak publicly about religion, considering it a matter of personal choice and inner peace.
