Businessman Vadym Rabynovych and a number of other Jewish philanthropists in Ukraine have financed the opening of a mikvah, a pool for ritual cleansing, in Kyiv. This expensive gift was given to the Jewish religious community in the capital of Ukraine in honor of the 10th anniversary of its revival.
Relaying an item from Blahovest-Info, the Internet Agency Christian News reports that over 400 people were present at the ceremonial opening of the mikvah and Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma sent his greetings.
Opening the ceremony, Moshe-Ruven Asman, head rabbi of Kyiv and the Kyiv region, thanked the benefactors for such an expensive gift and expressed his hope that this will help further the growth of the Jewish community. "Mikvah," commented the rabbi, "is one of the bases of the existence of the Jewish people. It is directly connected not only with physical but also with spiritual, moral purity. As the mikvah cleanses those who have been defiled, so the Lord, Blessed is He, cleanses Israel."