Views: 11
A funeral service for Matityahu Samborsky, the adopted son of Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi, Moshe Azman, was held on Sept. 12 at Kyiv’s Central Synagogue.
Samborsky, 32, served in the Ukrainian military and went missing-in-action in late July while fighting on the front line.
The ceremony was covered by public broadcaster Suspilne.
Family, friends, and fellow soldiers came to pay their respects to Samborsky.
Family friend and chaplain of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, David, shared that Matityahu married at the age of 20 and then joined the military. According to David, serving to defend the country against the Russian invasion was a conscious decision by the Chief Rabbi’s son.
“We came to thank the family for their stance and to honor their son,” said Olena Tolkachova, head of the patronage service of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, Samborsky’s unit.
“Ukrainians are supported by various denominations and nationalities. I want people to understand the sacrifices made by those participating in combat. We must unite to defeat evil together.”
On Aug. 29, Moshe Azman said that he last spoke with his son on July 17. On July 24, after one of the battles, Samborsky went missing.
In 2002, the Chief Rabbi and his wife adopted 10-year-old Anton Samborsky, giving him the name Matityahu.
“Motya lived with our family for about 10 years, and when he became an adult, he decided to live independently,” the rabbi said at the ceremony.
“He got married, and in May this year, he had a daughter. But a week after the child’s birth, Motya was called up to serve. After a quick training course, he was immediately sent to the front line.”
Twenty years ago, most people hadn’t even heard of Ukraine. Today, the country is on everyone’s lips and everyone’s headlines. War pushed us on the front page. But there are many other things we do that we are proud of – from music and culture to technology.
