Restoring Jewish Life
Jewish life throughout Ukraine has been devastated by the war, with many activities and organizations ceasing to provide their normal services of education, Sunday schools, women’s groups, and teenage groups. The Office of the Chief Rabbi is working tirelessly with partners and supporters to rebuild Jewish community life throughout all of Ukraine and provide for their security needs.
We are working tirelessly in collaboration with the Alliance of Ukranian Jewish Communities to service the humanitarian and communal needs of over 40 communities across Ukraine, supporting community centers and synagogues and rebuilding Jewish community life. We are dedicated to reviving both the Jewish spiritual life and building the infrastructure for the Jewish way of living.
Outside of providing critical schooling to children of all ages, we are providing resources for Jewish life including kosher food – urgently needed by all. We have arranged wartime shechita (ritual slaughter) of chicken and beef. We are also operating regular synagogues and providing Jewish lifecycle events such as Bris Milah (circumcision), Jewish weddings and burial services across Ukraine.
With donors’ support, lives are not only being saved but communities are being nursed back to life guided by Jewish values of compassion and hope. We have launched a Wartime Jewish Engagement program and with Gd’s help will create a brighter tomorrow for all.
EDUCATION
Mitzvah 613 Educational System
In the years preceding the war, we established the Mitzvah 613 Educational System in Anatevka, an inspiring school system serving students from early childhood through high school. The school is dedicated towards providing a holistic Torah education, teaching not only traditional Jewish texts and wisdom but also supporting hands-on activities such as gardening and robotics courses.
Our educational campus gives students access to athletic fields, woodworking workshops, and a variety of other extracurricular activities. We are working to create a generation of leaders and many of our students go on to study at prestigious institutions of higher education.
While the war naturally forced us to suspend operations, we are welcoming new students from early childhood through high school for this school year and are adapting our educational facilities to meet the wartime challenges.
Due to the current situation, our current efforts are focused on two primary goals:
Dormitory
Many students no longer have a place to call home. The dormitory will serve students and cities ravaged by the war, as well IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons). The dormitory will provide room and board, as well as other physical and mental health needs of the students to ensure that our youth have the right tools to build a brighter future.
Bomb Shelter
Sirens are now a daily reality. With safety being a primary concern, a bomb-shelter is being built to meet all relevant regulations and standards from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Defense, and other goverment bodies.
With the construction of the bomb shelter, parents will send their children to school peacefully, knowing that if the sirens go off, and rockets fall, their kids will be safe. The shelter will allow for the continued functioning of school even under Russian attack. Having gone through intense trauma, the bomb shelter will allow for a semblance of routine and shelter and continued education.
SECURITY
As can be expected during wartime, security is of paramount importance. The Office of the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine has been liaising with governmental and non-governmental agencies in securing Jewish communities and institutions across Ukraine.
Our Office is responsible for ensuring that the Jewish communities and synagogues under our watch are protected and our community members safe.
Extensive private security is crucial to secure key jewish institutions, in addition to evacuations, and our distribution of humanitarian aid. Armed guards, surveillance systems, and general upkeep are necessary to continue to meet our community’s security requirements in real time.