Perm, Russia – Following the devastating crash of an Aeroflot passenger plane, which occurred on September 14th (reported HERE on YWN), it was learned that four Jewish families were among the victims. This collision killed all 88 people aboard, with these particular families constituting 11 of the deceased. The Boeing 737-500, operated under the liner ‘Aeroflot-Nord’, was near to landing on its Moscow-Perm route when it crashed at 3:10 AM.

Official representatives of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia have traveled to Perm to provide assistance with respect to the gruesome process of identifying the victims’ bodies and to handle other procedures as laid out by Halacha. This delegation includes Andrei Glotser, on behalf of Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar and Rabbi Shmuel Kuperman, who represents the Chevra Kadisha Burial Society. To date, Chief Rabbi of Perm Zalman Deutch and other local lay leaders have been keeping in regular touch with the search teams and the families of the victims.

The delegation, together with local Jewish leaders, will also organize the Kevura of these casualties.

Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar extended his regrets to the relatives and family members of victims of the plane crash. “The news about this plane crash summoned a feeling of deep mourning within me. I request all loved ones and relatives [of the victims] to courageously accept this heavy loss for all of you,” expressed Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar.

The names of Jewish victims of this catastrophe were released by the FJC Russia and published by jewish.ru, along with their respective birthdates, as follows: The Sankin Family – Yevgeniy Sankin (1958), Lyudmila Sankina (1955) The Spivak Family – Anna Spivak (1976), Yakov Spivak (1976), Alexander Spivak (2002) The Yudin Family – Sergei Yudin (1967), Valeriya Yudina (2005), The Nakhumov Family – Ifraim Nakhumov (1972), Golda Nakhumova (1984), Ilya Nakhumov (2001), Eva Nakhumova (2003).

Among the three children who perished in this tragedy, seven-year-old Ilya Nakhumov was a dedicated student at the Ohr Avner Chabad Day School in Perm. His relatives have informed that he, his sister and parents were just returning home from a family gathering.

(Source: FJC)