Religious News - Ukraine to return seized Torah scrolls

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Ukraine to return seized Torah scrolls

KIEV, Ukraine, Oct. 26 Ukrainian President Victor Yuschenko signed a decree Wednesday pledging the return of all government-held religious property, especially Torah scrolls held in state archives. The decree, signed after Yuschenko met with Ukraine's Jewish leaders to discuss government measures to combat anti-Semitism, says the scrolls are to be returned to the Jewish community, JTA reported Friday.

More than 1,000 historic Torah scrolls are in state-run museums and archives in Ukraine, according to Josef Zissels, head of the Va'ad, or Association of Jewish Communities and Organizations of Ukraine. Jewish leaders asked for their return to help revitalize Jewish religious life in the country.

The scrolls originally belonged to synagogues and private households in Ukraine and were either confiscated by communist authorities during anti-religion campaigns during the Soviet era, or seized by Nazi forces during the World War II occupation of Ukraine.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 10/27/2007

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