Rebuilt Astrakhan Synagogue Brings New Life to "Forgotten" Jews

The "cantonists," the young Jewish boys enrolled forcibly for twenty five years of service in the Czar Nikolais' army, were usually sent to serve to the most distant areas of imperialist Russia. At the end of their service they had forgotten their families, the places of their birth and settled in the cities of their services. Those among them who remembered that they were Jews did their utmost to return to the Jewish community and to the Jewish way of life.

Among the places of "cantonist" service and resettlement was the city of Astrakhan on the left shore of the Volga, where it divides into a wide delta and flows into the Caspian Sea.

These "cantonists" set up places of worship in apartments, which finally developed into synagogues. Only one of those synagogue survived the Czarist pogroms and the Soviet campaign against all places of worship. This synagogue was built one hundred and twenty years ago. Over the years, this wooden structure lost some of the boards and other boards became rotten. Some were singed from a fire a number of years ago. The three thousand Jews spread throughout the city of Astrakhan have no other place where they can meet or worship.

The JDC, as part of its Jewish Renewal program, decided to help this community rebuild completely the synagogue. The entire exterior of the building was covered by brick walls. The wooden walls were preserved. The interior, too, was covered by special material to protect the old wood and provide a new pleasant interior. The ladies section was rebuilt and modern sanitary facilities were installed. A beautiful, attractive synagogue stands where the old dilapidated one was.

On April 8th was the official opening of the synagogue. The JDC was honored to cut the ribbon for the opening. The governor of the city, municipal officials, Rabbi Lazar of Lubavitch and other guests came to this celebration. The Jews of Astrakhan are now very proud of their synagogue. Regular prayer services are being held. The ladies committee, Hillel and other groups use the building for their meetings. As the president of the community said in his address "The community became alive again, active and more Jewish, thanks to this new synagogue building. JDC has brought new life to the forgotten, neglected Jews of distant Astrakhan".

The Jews of Astrakhan now hope to rebuild an active, vital vibrating Jewish community on the very land where centuries ago was the famous Jewish Kuzari Kingdom.