The Jewish Community of Dnipro was visited by high-ranking American diplomat Julie S. Davis, who previously headed the diplomatic mission of the United States in Ukraine in the capacity of Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Now, after the recent conclusion of her tenure in July 2026, Julie S. Davis visited one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe to acquaint herself with its current life, main areas of activity, and numerous projects.
Together with Lyudmila Novak, Communications Director of INTERPIPE, Ms. Julie S. Davis visited the Central “Golden Rose” Synagogue, where she met with the Chief Rabbi of Dnipro and the region, Shmuel Kaminezki. For the American diplomat, this meeting with the community was especially symbolic: Julie S. Davis first visited the Jewish Community of Dnipro over thirty years ago, when the community was only beginning its revival. At that time, she became acquainted with its life and shared a meal with community members in the only functioning small synagogue at the time, on Kotsyubynsky Street. During her current visit, she was deeply impressed by the tremendous path of development that the Jewish Community of Dnipro has traversed over these three and a half decades.
The guests were told about the history of the Jewish Community of Dnipro’s development in independent Ukraine and its present day, about its numerous educational, social, charitable, youth, and cultural programs, as well as about the role of the Jewish Community of Dnipro in the life of the city, the region, and all of Ukraine. The opportunity to see the community again after so many years allowed Julie S. Davis to directly assess the scale of the changes that have taken place and the transformation of the Jewish Community of Dnipro into one of the largest and most dynamically developing Jewish communities in Europe.
The meeting continued in the Chief Rabbi’s office, where a thorough exchange of views took place on current issues. Special attention was given to the state of Jewish life in Ukraine, the community’s activities under current conditions, the significance of its international connections, and the importance of further developing relations with the United States of America.
“For us, this visit holds special significance, especially since it took place on the eve of one of the key events of the Jewish calendar – the holiday of Rosh Hashanah,” noted the Chief Rabbi of Dnipro and the region, Shmuel Kaminezki. “It is especially symbolic that Julie S. Davis came to us again after more than thirty years and was able to see with her own eyes the tremendous path our community has traveled. We greatly value the important role Ms. Davis played in the development and strengthening of relations between the United States of America and Ukraine. I blessed her from the bottom of my heart and wished her a good and happy New Year, peace, prosperity, and success in all her endeavors.”
