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Posted On: October 28th 2026, 03:11 pm
Congratulations to @aviv_community, our Masorti/Conservative community in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, on the premiere of “88 Closed Doors,” their documentary uncovering the history of the city’s synagogues and the Jewish life that once flourished within them.
Premiered on October 11, the film explores the history of Chernivtsi’s synagogues across the Austro-Hungarian, Romanian, and Soviet periods. Through years of research into thousands of archival documents, photographs, newspapers, and personal testimonies, the team recovered stories of buildings that once housed synagogues, Jewish organizations, and vibrant community life.
The premiere took place in the former Tempel synagogue, now the Chernivtsi Cinema, on the anniversary of the establishment of the city’s Jewish ghetto, a setting and date that gave the screening particular significance.
This project builds on Kehillat Aviv’s first documentary, “From War to Spring,” which told the story of the community during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and its efforts to sustain warmth, mutual support, and faith through those darkest times.
By documenting both their community’s experiences and the city’s Jewish heritage, Kehillat Aviv is taking an active role in telling its own story. This work can strengthen Jewish identity and education in the region, helping younger generations connect with their heritage and see themselves as participants in its future. Across our global Masorti/Conservative movement, it offers a meaningful example of a community creating resources that preserve memory, nurture belonging, and support Jewish continuity.
Mazal Tov to the community and the team behind the film! @levkleiman, who conceived and produced it; screenwriter and director @sergeyvalov1988, and researcher Stanislava Zhutovskaya.
You can learn more about the community by following its social media channels and visiting its YouTube channel at youtube.com/@avivche.
#KehillatAviv #Ukraine #MasortiUkraine #MasortiEurope #MasortiMovement
Premiered on October 11, the film explores the history of Chernivtsi’s synagogues across the Austro-Hungarian, Romanian, and Soviet periods. Through years of research into thousands of archival documents, photographs, newspapers, and personal testimonies, the team recovered stories of buildings that once housed synagogues, Jewish organizations, and vibrant community life.
The premiere took place in the former Tempel synagogue, now the Chernivtsi Cinema, on the anniversary of the establishment of the city’s Jewish ghetto, a setting and date that gave the screening particular significance.
This project builds on Kehillat Aviv’s first documentary, “From War to Spring,” which told the story of the community during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and its efforts to sustain warmth, mutual support, and faith through those darkest times.
By documenting both their community’s experiences and the city’s Jewish heritage, Kehillat Aviv is taking an active role in telling its own story. This work can strengthen Jewish identity and education in the region, helping younger generations connect with their heritage and see themselves as participants in its future. Across our global Masorti/Conservative movement, it offers a meaningful example of a community creating resources that preserve memory, nurture belonging, and support Jewish continuity.
Mazal Tov to the community and the team behind the film! @levkleiman, who conceived and produced it; screenwriter and director @sergeyvalov1988, and researcher Stanislava Zhutovskaya.
You can learn more about the community by following its social media channels and visiting its YouTube channel at youtube.com/@avivche.
#KehillatAviv #Ukraine #MasortiUkraine #MasortiEurope #MasortiMovement
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