The Uzbek government on Wednesday decided to renovate the cemeteries of Holocaust survivors buried in the country, in light of the special request of Israel’s Chief Rabbi, HaGaon HaRav Dovid Lau Shlita.

Rabbi Lau, who is currently on a journey among the Jewish communities in Uzbekistan, participated this morning in a special session held in his honor with the participation of the Minister of Religious Affairs of Uzbekistan Mr. Nuriman Abulhasan, the local Mufti, Mr. Osmonkun Elimov and the Ambassador of Israel in Uzbekistan, Mr. Eduard Shapira.

At the opening of the meeting, the Chief Rabbi spoke of his recent visits to Jewish communities in Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara. Noting that he was very impressed by the work of the rabbis in the communities to strengthen and establish religious life throughout Uzbekistan.

The Chief Rabbi spoke of a special visit he made at the cemetery where the Holocaust survivors who fled to Uzbekistan during World War II are buried. The rabbi turned to the local minister of religious affairs and told him about the condition of the graves in a very neglected place, and asked the Minister of Religions to act as soon as possible to renovate the place in order to honor those Holocaust survivors who died in their escape.

The minister responded immediately to the chief rabbi’s request and announced that in the coming days a special delegation would arrive at the cemetery and prepare a work plan for renovating the place as soon as possible. The Chief Rabbi thanked the Ambassador and the Minister for their assistance in matters of religion in Uzbekistan.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)