Chişinău, Moldova

Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, used to be a flourishing Jewish center in the 18th century, during the period of tremendous economic growth. However, starting in 1903, there were many massacres and pogroms leading to a wave of emigration amid ongoing anti-Semitic propaganda.
After decades of war and oppression, the Jewish community in Chisinau is experiencing a revival.

5,000 Jews currently live in Moldova, with the majority residing in Chisinau. Rabbi Zalman Belsky established the community in 1990. His son Rabbi Zisha, who is the current Rabbi, opened a kindergarten three years ago, starting out with 3 children, and now has grown to 17. He had 70 kids who joined the camp last summer. Additionally, they organized a women’s Neshei group with 50-80 participants and offer classes on Taharas Hamishpacha in Russian and Hebrew. 15-20 women are currently going to the Mikvah and they’re expecting to have double once their own Mikvah is complete.

At the start of the Ukraine war, over 1,000,000 refugees, including tens of thousands of Jews, sought refuge in Moldova. The Community provided assistance such as food, lodging, and even built a large kitchen especially for this.