Saving Maharsha synagogue in memory of Gregory

Gregory Arshynov was on a sacred mission. His life ended too
early.

The great Maharsha synagogue in Ostroh lay in ruins for centuries,
until one brave man devoted his life to making its spirit shine again.


The Jewish communities of Ukraine had been reduced to rubble
during the second World War, and their Jewish inhabitants
massacred. The pale monuments of a once-flourishing Jewish life
faintly acknowledge their former vibrancy and grandeur.

For decades, the decaying silhouettes of synagogues and communal
institutions lay in ruins, beckoning for someone to show a scintilla of
interest in their restoration.

Fortunately for the Maharsha synagogue, relief arrived by way of the
kind-hearted and enterprising soul of Mr. Gregory Arshynov (Gershon ben Yosef), who spearheaded a campaign to restore the synagogue to its former glory.

Over the last five years, and with the investment of much personal
funds and several donors, the glimmer of light emanating from this majestic synagogue began to burn ever brighter, as its walls were reinforced, its roof
fortified and prevented from collapse, and its renovations got underway. Hope began to pierce through the mass of its dilapidated stones.

But on November 1, 2020, this beautiful dream came to a screeching
halt with Gregory’s untimely death due to complications from the
Covid-19 pandemic.

Now, the fate of the great Maharsha synagogue is in your hands.

Help revive this landmark of Jewish history by making a dedication in
memory of a loved one, today.