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A Jewish man was assaulted outside the Obolon Synagogue in Kyiv on Saturday when a group of young men sprayed him with pepper spray and ran away, according to the Chabad Kyiv Jewish Community and the United Jewish Community of Ukraine.
The victim, a congregant of the synagogue, suffered irritation to his eyes and skin. The attack occurred shortly after noon, as worshipers marked Shabbat.
Chabad Kyiv described the assault as a “brutal antisemitic attack” that disrupted the sanctity of the day. In a social media post, the community condemned the violence, calling it a “deliberate, cruel, and premeditated antisemitic act.”
Harassment Escalates Near Kyiv Synagogue
The assault came one day after another disturbing encounter. On Friday, a group of youths reportedly approached the synagogue and shouted antisemitic slurs at the rabbi.
The back-to-back incidents alarmed Kyiv’s Jewish residents and community organizations, which have faced a rise in antisemitic threats since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Local Jewish leaders stressed that such hate cannot go unanswered and urged authorities to act quickly.
As of Sunday, Ukrainian police had not yet issued a public statement or confirmed whether an investigation had begun.
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CAM has launched Report It — a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent — download it today on the Apple Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it. Together, we can fight this hate.
