Son of Ukraine’s chief rabbi dies on the frontline

Source: Moshe Reuven Azman/Facebook

Ukraine’s chief rabbi Moshe Reuven Azman said on Wednesday his son had died defending Ukraine in the war against Russia. The body of Anton Matityahu Samborskyi was recovered in early September after he had gone missing during a combat engagement on July 24.

Rabbi Moshe Reuven Asman shared his son’s story on  Ukraine’s Day of Remembrance for Fallen Defenders.  The rabbi and his wife adopted an 11-year-old orphan Anton Samborsky in 2002, giving him the name Matityahu (Motya) in honor of the Maccabean hero. Matityahu was raised by the Rabbi’s family for 10 years.  He started his own family and fathered a child in May 2024. Just one week after the arrival of their baby, Matityahu was called up for the military service and after a brief training headed to the frontlines.

A memorial service for the fallen soldier will take place tomorrow, September 12, at the Central Synagogue in Kyiv.