(JNS.org) The Jewish mayor of Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, is slowly recovering in an Israeli hospital, officials say. Gennady Kernes, 54, was flown to Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center last week after being shot in the back by an unidentified gunman. He underwent surgery for his gunshot, and has now been taken off a respirator and is fully conscious. Kernes had been a strong supporter of deposed pro-Russian Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych. But since Yanukovych’s overthrow, Kernes had become more supportive of the new Ukrainian government and called for Kharkiv, which is 25 miles from the Russian border, to remain part of Ukraine.