Dzerzhinsk, Russia – Sealing a remarkably successful month of activities, an official visit by the local Mayor’s office to the Grand Synagogue symbolized the recent revival of the Jewish community in Dzerzhinsk.

The delegation, which included the Mayor and his executive team, was warmly welcomed by the Rabbi and the head of the Jewish community. The visitors enjoyed a tour of the Jewish institutes and promised to support the community and assist in renovating its historic Synagogue.  

Dzerzhinsk is a city in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located along the Oka River, about 400 kilometers (250 mi) east of Moscow, with a population of 240,742 people.

Modern-day Dzerzhinsk is a large center of the Russian chemicals production industry. In the past, the city was also among Russia’s principal production sites for chemical weapons. As of 2008, Dzerzhinsk had 38 large industrial enterprises, which export their goods worldwide. About one thousand varieties of chemical products are produced in Dzerzhinsk.[nggallery id=240]