Thirty-eight people die in blaze at trade union bldg in Odessa during pro-Russia riots

People wait to be rescued on the second story's ledge during a fire at the trade union building in Odessa (Reuters)

Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/More-than-30-die-in-Odessa-blaze/tabid/417/articleID/342573/Default.aspx#ixzz30ayxv4qR

     Thirty eight people died in a fire after pro-Russian rioters took over a trade union building in Odessa, Ukraine. The riots started near our hotel in the center of Odessa. We could hear the gun fire and police stun grenades going off from our room. The trade union building was set on fire and people died from smoke inhalation, gun fire and injuries when they jumped out of the building to avoid the flames. The streets are calm near us now but we don't know what is happening elsewhere. We are schduled to fly out of Odessa on Sunday so please pray for our safe journey home.
Shalom, David Schneier

Riots in Odessa/Three to four are dead!

  There were riots in the streets started probably by Russian provocateurs. They are continuing near the train station where it was reported that the regional government building was taken over. Earlier a van was found by pro-Ukrainian supporters near our hotel that contained guns, ammo and molotov cocktails. The van had Russian markings.
  When the people in the van were questioned the riots broke out. We could hear gunfire and police stun grenades for several hours. Three or four people have been been killed The police used stun grenades to disperse the crowds. Protestors were using rocks and pistols. The smell of burning rubber and gun powder was in the air.  This is the first I have had access to the internet since all of this began at about 3:45 pm local time. Please pass this e-mail on to all who will pray. We are scheduled to leave here on Sunday. Shalom. David and Leslye Schneier



Smoke filling the main pedestrian walking street

Police bus taking those who started the deadly riot.They were given a choice: Surrender or we'll give to the gathered Ukrainians who wanted to, at the very least, beat them. They surrendered!

Synagogue recently firebombed in the city where Rabbi Yura lives in Ukraine.

Leslye and I have been by this synagogue many times in the last 18 years. There is a video of the bombing (you have to wait a while to see it in the video) at  http://antisemitism.org.il/article/86636/synagogue-firebombed. On to Ukraine tomorrow. Shalom, David Schneier

Ukraine / 19-04-2014

Synagogue Firebombed

Source: news.pn

Nikolaev - At 2:00 am Friday night the main shul in Nikolaev was attacked by firebombs. B"H the shul was empty at the time. One firebomb was thrown at the door and the other was thrown at a window. Tomim Yisroelik Gottleib, son of Shliach Rabbi Sholom Gottleib, told Shturem that miraculously a person passing by the shul was equipped with a fire extinguisher, and immediately putout the fire that had erupted, preventing massive damage.

In Paris and on to Odessa!

 
     We arrived in Paris this morning and leave for Odessa tomorrow at 7:15 am. Please pray for our two flights through Warsaw to Odessa, that our baggage arrives in Odessa and that we pass through Passport Control and customs without incident. Also please pray for Sally and Alice from our Birmingham congregation, Rabbi Emmanuel from Paris (we are on the same plane as Emmanuel), congregational leader Jarda from Czech Republic, Pastor Darko from Croatia and Pastor Barry Boucher from Ottawa on their journeys tomorrow to Odessa for our leadership conference. This will be an important moment to encourage Messianic leaders from all over Ukraine. Shalom from David & Leslye Schneier

On to Odessa: We're in His hands!

   Lesye and I leave for Europe this Saturday landing in Odessa, Ukraine Monday afternoon. We will be joined in Paris by Emmanuel Rodriguez, the Rabbi of the IAMCS congregation there. When we land in Odessa leaders from Czech Republic (Messianic Leader Jarda Kupka, Croatia (Pastor Darko), Canada (Pastor Barry Boucher) and from all over Ukraine will have arrived for our semi-annual IAMCS leadership conference. This will be truly a "such a time as this" moment as President Putin again threatened to invade Ukraine to protect "Russian citizens" who don't live in Russia. It's hard to understand that kind of thinking but we're not there for politics. Our brothers and sisters in the Messianic movement in Ukraine need a cup of cold water from a distant land. You can be part of this visit through your prayers and gifts for our work there. Please contact us through our blog if you want more information on how you can help. Shalom, David & Leslye Schneier

Passover in Birmingham, AL

       Leslye and I want to thank all at Beth Hallel for their over the top efforts in making our Community Seder last night a huge success. We had over 1,000 people attend, including Chief Justice Moore and Associate Justice Parker of the Alabama Supreme Court, Mayor Bell of Birmingham and many pastors and ministry leaders. One of the key goals of the seder was to bring the body of Messiah together in the Birmingham area and much was achieved in that direction. Worship with Paul Wilbur was awesome and even the men were dancing throughout the ball room. We plan to have a DVD available some time soon so if you want a copy please contact the Beth Hallel offices. And please visit us in person on Friday nights at 7:30 pm or on live stream at shalombirmingham.com. Blessings. Rabbi David and Rebbetzin Leslye Schneier

Here's an update on the post about the flyer distributed in Donetsk, Ukraine requiring Jews to register in the new Donetsk Republik. Should be interesting how this is going to be handled, especially since it was reported that someone acknowledged its distribution in the Republik government. I'll keep you posted as this matter develops. Shalom, David Schneier

If this is too large for the post go to http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4510688,00.html

Donetsk leaflet: Jews must register or face deportation

Fear replaced communal atmosphere in Donetsk's Jewish community as armed men handed out a leaflet Passover eve calling on Jews register their religion and property with the interim pro-Russian government or face deportation and loss of citizenship.

Michal Margalit

Published:  04.16.14, 23:48 / Israel News

A leaflet distributed in Donetsk, Ukraine calling for all Jews over 16 years old to register as Jews marred the Jewish community's Passover festivities Monday (Passover eve), replacing them with feelings of concern.

The leaflet demanded the city's Jews supply a detailed list of all the property they own, or else have their citizenship revoked, face deportion and see their assets confiscated.

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Donetsk, a Ukraine province with 4.3 million people - 10 percent of Ukraine's population - and 17,000 Jews, is home to much of the country's heavy industry, and is thus the biggest prize of the eastern regions where pro-Russian separatists have captured government buildings in the past week.

The leaflet, signed by Chairman of Donetsk's temporary government Denis Pushilin, was distrbiuted to Jews near the Donetsk synagogue and later in other areas of the city where pro-Russians activists have declared Donetsk as an independent "people's republic", defying an ultimatum from Kiev to surrender.

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• Ukrainian rabbi assaulted in anti-Semitic attack

The leaflet was written in Russian and had Russia's national symbol on it, as well as the Donetsk People's Republic insignia.

"Dear Ukraine citizens of Jewish nationality," the flyer began, "due to the fact that the leaders of the Jewish community of Ukraine

supported Bendery Junta," a reference to Stepan Bandera, the leader of the Ukrainian nationalist movement which fought for Ukrainian independence at the end of World War II, "and oppose the pro-Slavic People's Republic of Donetsk, (the interim government) has decided that all citizens of Jewish descent, over 16 years of age and residing within the republic's territory are required to report to the Commissioner for Nationalities in the Donetsk Regional Administration building and register."
The leaflet detailed what type of documents the Jewish citizens would need to supply: "ID and passport are required to register your Jewish religion, religious documents of family members, as well as documents establishing the rights to all real estate property that belongs to you, including vehicles."

If the message was not made clear enough, the leaflet further stipulated the consequences that would come to those who failed to abide by the new demands: "Evasion of registration will result in citizenship revoke and you will be forced outside the country with a confiscation of property."

To add insult to injury, the leaflet demanded the Jews pay a registration fee of $50.

The leaflet demanding the Jews to register their nationality or face deportation (Photo: Olga Reznikova)

 
According to Alex Tenzer, a Kiev native and one of the directors of the National Association of Immigrants from the Former USSR in Israel, said: "The Jewish-Ukrainian leadership supports Ukraine's new government, but it's hard to tell whether the leaflet is valid or simply a provocation.

"Anyway, the material is very anti-Semitic and reminds me of the kind of material distributed by the Nazis in WWII."

Emanuelle Shechter, from Israel, received a copy of the leaflet via Whatsapp from his friends in Donetsk. "They told me that masked men were waiting for Jewish people after the Passover eve prayer, handed them the flyer and told them to obey its instructions."

Olga Reznikova, a member of Donetsk's Jewish community, told Ynet that "we do not know if the leaflet was spread by pro-Russian forces or someone else, but it did manage to create quite a fear. This reminds me of texts from darker times. Other members of the Jewish community I spoke with are not afraid, but it is unpleasant.

"I do not intend to register, I am 32, I have lived in Donetsk my entire life and have never had to deal with anti-Semitism until I laid eyes on this piece of paper. Though I take it very seriously, I am uncertain of its authenticity."

Ukrainian soldiers and pro-Russians activists in Donetsk (Photo: EPA)

 
Jenia from Israel, who also received the letter from a Jewish acquaintance, said "the Jews in Donetsk are uncertain of anything; it is unclear who is responsible for the leaflet and who controls the city at the moment.

"We don't feel safe like we used to because of the political instability in the area; there isn't a legitimate president or sovereign. Currently Donetsk is ruled by a junta."

In a response to a request by a Ukrainian Jewish website, Pushilin, the interim government's regional chairman, confirmed that the flyers were distributed by his organization, but denied any connection to the leaflet's content.