HRYHORII ARSHYNOV. THE MAN WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE. YOU ARE GREATLY MISSED...
Last year the 1st of November became a sorrowful day for everyone who knew Hryhorii Ashynov - philanthropist, custodian of the Jewish heritage of Ukraine, deputy of the city council of Ostroh. It is difficult for us to accept that he is no longer with us. But the memory of him and his dream are still alive! Therefore, this post will be about gratitude for his huge contribution in preserving the Jewish heritage of Ukraine, in particular the town of Derazhne.
Our meeting was a true miracle that flashed a light in me and made me believe that nothing is impossible. He made a significant contribution to the preservation of the cemetery in Derazhne, as well as to honour the memory of Holocaust victims by installing a memorial on the mass grave of the local Jewish community, that was killed in 1942. He is a man to whom the local community should be grateful for saving Jewish history, that was about to disappear.
Today, on the day of the memory of Hryhorii, I want to once again draw your attention to the monumental project of his whole life, that was launched in 2016. It is the restoration of an abandoned synagogue - The Great Maharsha Synagogue in Ostroh.
Follow the link to get more information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/737342409734598
“Hryhorii 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 were 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 Hryhorii Arshynov (Gershon ben Yosef), who spearheaded a campaign to restore the synagogue to its former glory.
Photo credits to https://ukrainer.net/synagoga-ostrog/
Over the last five years, and with the investment of many 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.” (from a Facebook post of Hryhorii’s daughter-in-law Dana Arshynova)
On November 1, 2020, many people were stunned by Hryhorii’s untimely death due to complications from the COVID-19 pandemic. It felt so unfair, so wrong. It just could not happen to him. He became one of the victims of COVID-19. Now we are looking for help and want to draw everyone’s attention to the old synagogue and its restoration, that needs to be completely reconstructed in memory of our dear friend. The idea may look unrealistic, but that is just how great Hryhorii dreamt and lit the light in people's hearts! No one believed that he would succeed and save this monumental building. But he did, and I feel like our mission is to help him to fulfil what he began. Even the idea of it looks surreal, but anything is possible and his life was the real example of it.
"Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7). Therefore, we decided to knock at your door today and ask for your help. You can financially support the restoration of the synagogue just now. Even the smallest amount will help to make the great dream of a great man come true.
Hryhorii Arshynow was full of ideas focused on preserving the Jewish and Ukrainian historical heritage, helping people and making a difference. Whenever somebody asked him for help, he was always ready to give a hand. That is what he taught us to do! He showed us how to become better versions of ourselves.
His son Dmytro, who lives in the USA, is trying to raise money on gofundme.com. You can find the link down below. Fortunately, 61 donors kindly supported the idea, which will forever save the memory of Hryhorii. They managed to raise 8635$ of the total goal (440000$). It is a rather complicated and challenging project, as there is no Jewish community in the city. That is why we urge you to come together and achieve this goal!
We kindly ask you to share the story about our dear friend, philanthropist, great soul Hryhorii, so more people could read it and help us. In this way, people will cherish his memory and help make his dream come true by donating.
HOW TO FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE PROJECT OF HRYHORII'S LIFE?
You can send financial support via gofundme, or to the personal account of Hryhorii's daughter Yelyzaveta marked "synagogue".
gofundme: https://gofund.me/e53d7043
Privatbank: Arshynova Yelyzaveta 5168 7574 1007 2757 Monobank: Arshynova Yelyzaveta 4441 1144 2989 9097
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