World-renowned musicians Pavel Kogan and Daniel Milkis (the son and grandson of the great violinist Leonid Kogan, a native of Ekaterinoslav-Dnepropetrovsk) visited Dnepropetrovsk’s Golden Rose Synagogue following their triumphant concert at the city’s Gorky Theatre.
Although Mr. Kogan did not initially plan to visit the synagogue, the morning after the concert, he asked to be taken there. “The day before, I met with the mayor of your wonderful city, Ivan Kulichenko and he asked me if I had already been to the synagogue. Explained Mr. Kogan, “I have played in 55 countries… this is the only city I have encountered where the mayor so proudly speaks of the Jewish community and the synagogue, the absence of ethnic conflict, the importance of preserving the diversity of traditions and developing respect and affection between members of different cultures.”
Mr. Kogan and Mr. Milkis were interested in learning about the local Jewish community’s activities and how its growth has developed. They enjoyed their tour of the Menorah Center, the world's largest Jewish Community Center. The Menorah Center was created at the initiative of and with the help of the community’s President Gennady Bogolyubov and Igor Kolomoisky, the President of the United Jewish Community of Ukraine and President of the European Council of Jewish Communities.
While at the Golden Rose Synagogue, Mr. Kogan and Mr. Milkis, just as many other guests, were asked whether they had already put on tefillin that day. It turns out that neither of the guests had ever performed this important mitzvah.
“We were glad that these renown musicians had the opportunity to celebrate their Bar Mitzvah in our synagogue,” stated Oleg Rostovtsev, a board member of the Jewish community. “It is not a mere coincidence that, despite having visited 55 countries, their Bar Mitzvah took place in the very same city where Leonid Kogan was born. We are confident that they will come back here again and again and some day the Golden Rose Synagogue will host their performance,.”
Mr. Kogan was excited to learn about the community’s plan to petition the governor to have the Dnepropetrovsk Region Philharmonic named after his father Leonid Kogan. “I would be really pleased to come to Dnepropetrovsk for such an occasion and to give a concert for the Jewish community at that time,” commented Mr. Kogan.
The Jewish community of Dnepropetrovsk, headed by Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetsky and Chairman Alexander Fridkis, is a foremost member of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine.