Rav Levine inspecting the grave
The Jewish world is in shock and pain over the news that the holy grave of the founder of the Mussar Movement, HaRav Yisrael Salanter, in Koenigsburg, today Kaliningrad, Russia, is in disrepair. Even worse is the fact that private and organizational efforts to restore it have been prohibited on the grounds that the cemetery area was leased to the local community by the municipality, which refuses to authorize the work.
HaRav Shimon Levine, assistant Chief Rabbi of Moscow and director general of the Union of Orthodox Congregations in Russia, visited the site a week ago and was devastated to discover the grave of HaRav Yisrael Salanter defiled and graffiti sprayed all over the smashed stone and the entrance sign to the cemetery.
He immediately turned to Nikolai Tziknov, regional governor, who immediately involved municipal officials. HaRav Levine met with municipal representatives in Kaliningrad who also recognized the severity of the desecration and even began restoration work. Very soon after, however, a legal technicality arose. The man representing the local Jewish community had had the municipality sign a lease for the cemetery area in return for the responsibility for the upkeep of the cemetery. The Kaliningrad attorney general argued that the city cannot assume any changes or renovation without specific certification from the lessee. So nothing can be done until the impasse is resolved.
Fifteen years ago the grave of HaRav Yisroel Salanter was located after the persistent efforts of many askonim. A large delegation of over 200 rabbonim and roshei yeshivos went to Kaliningrad to attend the hakomas matzeivoh of the founder of the Mussar movement. See our article at the time:
"To Rededicate Koenigsburg."
Sadly, only a few months later the site was destroyed by vandals:
"CER Protests Destruction of R' Yisroel's Grave and Increasing Russian Antisemitism."
