Mourning Ceremony To Honour Memory Of Airliner Tu-154 Crash Victims In Sochi

The mourning ceremony to honour the memory of the victims of the Russian airliner Tu-154 crash was held in Sochi Sunday. Relatives of the victims, Head Rabbi of Russia Berl Lazar, Shimon Dagan, head of the Israeli experts' delegation arrived to identify the bodies, representatives of the Israeli Military Rabbinat and Head of the Jewish Agency of Russia Karol Ungar participated in the ceremony, Borukh Gorin, press secretary of Berl Lazar told RIA Novosti. The ceremony began with lighting mourning candles and saying the Kadish prayer. Berl Lazar noted in his address, "we came here not only to sympathize with your grief. This is our grief, too. We shall be with you tomorrow, we shall always be with you. We are ready to give you moral support and help you as we can." Only the relatives of the victims who came from the CIS countries participated in the mourning ceremony on Sunday, the Head Rabbi of Russia told RIA Novosti. According to him, the Israeli relatives of the victims are to fly to Sochi on Sunday evening. "The Jewish community understands that not only words or actions but also mere presence is important now," Berl Lazar said. The relatives of the victims "should know whom they can rely upon," he noted.