Tzvi-Hirsh Zurgazda, 32, married and a father of two, was killed in action on the front in Kherson. He is the third Jewish soldier to be killed in the Ukrainian army within about two weeks.
Tzvi-Hirsh (Grisha) Zurgazda, 32, a father of two and member of the Jewish community in Odessa, was killed in combat last Thursday on the front lines near Kherson. He is the third Jewish soldier to die in Ukraine’s war effort within the past two weeks.
Zurgazda served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ 34th Brigade, which is tasked with defending the country’s southern front, including coastal regions and river mouths that flow into the Black Sea.
A graduate of the Or Avner – Chabad Jewish school in Odessa, Zurgazda was deeply connected to the city’s Jewish community. A chef by profession, he had long dreamed of opening the first Michelin-starred kosher restaurant in Odessa. That dream was put on hold by the war.
“Tzvi-Hirsh was a child of our community,” said Rabbi Abraham Wolf, Chief Rabbi of Odessa and southern Ukraine. “He lived a life of tradition and community. He sacrificed his life to defend his homeland and his people – both as a Ukrainian soldier and as a proud Jew. My heart aches for him.”
Rabbi Wolf added, “I pray that his bravery and legacy will be a guiding light for his children, his family, and for all of us. The entire community mourns his loss and supports his loved ones during this painful time.”
Yakov Sinyakov, who oversees Jewish soldiers for the Federation of Jewish Communities in Ukraine (FJCU), was informed of Zurgazda’s death by the Ukrainian military. He coordinated efforts to waive an autopsy and arrange a Jewish funeral, expected to be held in Odessa later this week with the participation of Rabbi Wolf.
Zurgazda leaves behind his wife and two young children: four-year-old Elissa and five-year-old Lev.
His death follows the recent losses of two other Jewish soldiers.
Last week, Andrey Korovetsky, a Jewish soldier and teacher at the Chabad school in Zhytomyr, died from a heart attack on the front. He had been injured in earlier fighting, returned to duty, and suffered cardiac failure while serving.
Two weeks ago, actor and journalist Maxim Nelipa was killed in action in eastern Ukraine. Before the war, Nelipa was a prominent television host. He left his media career behind when Russia invaded, enlisting as a fighter. He served with distinction and had recently been promoted to company commander before he was fatally wounded. His son Artyom, currently serving in Israel’s Golani Brigade, learned of his father’s death while stationed in Gaza.
Rabbi Meir Stambler, chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities, estimates that more than 200 Jewish soldiers have died since the war began. “We work closely with Chabad emissaries to arrange Jewish funerals, offer financial support to grieving families, and recite Kaddish in memory of these heroes,” he said.
