Ukraine Archives Takes Back Jewish Community's Torah Scrolls

In central Ukraine, the Jewish community of Zhitomir (run by Chabad) has been forced to return their remaining 10 Torah scrolls to the Zhitomir Regional State Archives. JTA yesterday reported that the scrolls originally belonged to synagogues and individuals in Zhitomir, but were confiscated by Nazis during their occupation of Ukraine in World War II or were seized by Communist authorities in anti-religious campaigns. The returned scrolls are among 290 held by the Archives which had loaned 17 of them to the Jewish community. However, in disputes about whether the scrolls had been damaged, the Archives has taken them back. The Jewish community hopes that Ukraine's legislature will enact a restitution law so the Torahs can be reclaimed.