PERVOMAISK, UKRAINE — The Jewish community of Pervomaisk, in Ukraine's Mykolaiv region, celebrated a historic milestone with the inauguration of a new mikvah, the first to open in the city since the Holocaust.

Community members gathered despite light rain for the long-awaited dedication, marking a major step in the revival of Jewish life in a city whose organized Jewish community has been active for approximately 28 years.

The project was led by the city's Chabad shluchim, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Perlstein and his wife, Chana Perlstein. Construction began before the COVID-19 pandemic and continued through years of significant challenges, including the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Rabbi Shalom Gottlieb, Chief Rabbi of Mykolaiv and the surrounding region, participated in the inauguration alongside Rabbi Daniel Lanau, a mikvah kashrus supervisor and Chabad shliach in Kyiv. Community leaders, supporters and representatives of Jewish organizations also attended.

During the ceremony, mezuzos were affixed to the new facility before the official ribbon-cutting. Participants then toured the mikvah and gathered for a celebratory reception.

The location carries particular historical significance. The mikvah was constructed on the site of a former home belonging to the Halperin family, whose members served as rabbanim and dayanim in the city, historically known as Bogopol, for generations.

The inauguration is part of a broader effort to strengthen Jewish infrastructure in Pervomaisk. Plans are now advancing for the construction of a central shul that will serve the city's Jewish community.

After more than eight decades without a mikvah, community leaders expressed hope that the new facility will mark the beginning of another period of growth for Jewish life in Pervomaisk.