Tzvi Hirsch, known by his friends as “Grisha,” was a gifted chef with a bold dream: to open Europe’s first kosher restaurant to earn a Michelin star, right in his hometown of Odesa. But he set aside the world of gourmet cuisine for a military uniform and weapon when he enlisted in an elite naval unit of the Ukrainian army. His new mission: to defend his city and his family.
Over the weekend, Grisha, 32, was killed in heavy fighting in the Kherson region. He served in the 34th Brigade, which defends southern Ukraine, and fell as a front-line combat soldier.
A Proud Son of the Jewish Community and a Brave Fighter
Grisha was a graduate of the Chabad Jewish school in Odesa, a beloved member of a warm and devoted community, and the father of a four-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son. His life story is deeply intertwined with the Jewish fabric of the city — and it was precisely from those roots that his courage to go to the front line emerged.
His rabbi, Rabbi Avraham Wolff, stood by the family during their time of sorrow: “He was a child of us all — a student in our school, a member of our community, and a soldier who gave his life defending his homeland. He embodied both Jewish sensitivity and extraordinary courage.”
“The Pain of Devotion”
Grisha is the third Jewish soldier in the Ukrainian army to fall within just two weeks. Last week, Andrey Kurovskiy of Zhytomyr — a Chabad schoolteacher — died on the front following heart failure, after returning to active duty from a previous injury. A short time earlier, Maksym Nelipa — a well-known Jewish actor and journalist who had become a company commander — was killed in combat in eastern Ukraine.
Nelipa’s son, Artyom, is currently serving in the Israel Defense Forces. He received the heartbreaking news of his father’s death while in the middle of a battle in the Gaza Strip.
From the Battlefield to the Heart of the Community
The Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine, together with Chabad emissaries across the country, continues to ensure that fallen Jewish soldiers receive full Jewish honors even after death. No autopsy was performed on Grisha’s body, and he will be buried according to Jewish law, in the presence of rabbis and members of the local community.
Rabbi Meir Stambler, Chairman of the Jewish Communities of Ukraine, noted that more than 200 Jewish soldiers have been killed since the start of the war. “We’re fighting for our identity even after the battle ends. We ensure proper Jewish burials, support families, recite Kaddish, and do everything we can to give our soldiers the honor they deserve.”
