Brest ( Brisk), Belarus

The city of Brisk, Belarus which is renowned for the generations of Talmidai Chachamim who emerged from it, is experiencing a Yiddishe renaissance.

At the end of 2019, history was made as the Jewish community, alongside their Rav – Rabbi Chaim Rabinowitz, successfully restored the ancient Hekdesh Shul that was taken over by the Nazi invaders seventy-eight years before. At that time, Brisk was famous for its Talmidai Chachamim, Yeshiva, and its large Jewish community of over 30,000 members. The Nazis destroyed everything!

Two years after being reclaimed by the Yiddishe community, the ‘Hekdesh’ Shul in Brisk is undergoing restoration and establishment of a new Mikvah. The 2,000 active members have seen a revival in Jewish life through Jewish education, daily Minyanim, Shiurim, Shabbos, and Yom Tov meals, and much more.

The community in Belarus is in need of a new Mikvah to preserve the continuity of Jewish life. The Rabbi anticipates a minimum of 10 monthly users for the new Mikvah in its first year, with expectations for more. Currently, only 3 individuals are traveling 2.5 hours each way to the nearest Mikvah in Minsk, making it very difficult to observe the laws of Taharas Hamishpacha. Especially in the summer when the earliest Zman is 11pm, which means they can only be back home at 2am.