Ukraine's Jewish communities are preparing to celebrate their third Hanukkah under wartime conditions, hoping that light will dispel the darkness brought by the ongoing conflict. The Federation of Jewish Communities (FJCU) is organizing extensive holiday activities, continuing its tradition since its establishment in the 1990s.
Chabad emissaries, working through the federation, will operate in cities and districts nationwide. The light of Hanukkah will reach 169 Jewish communities in Ukraine, including towns and settlements without permanent representatives – some with just dozens or even a few Jewish residents. Despite freezing weather conditions, JRNU warehouses across Ukraine are currently packing thousands of festive kits for distribution to the country's Jewish population.
Thousands of special kits are being sent to Jewish homes, containing personal menorahs, elegant yarmulkes, Ukrainian-translated psalms books, children's gifts, and sweets. Additionally, central candle-lighting ceremonies will be held in city centers, with the main national ceremony taking place in Maidan Square with public officials and foreign ambassadors in attendance. These ceremonies will be made possible through special permits from authorities to allow Jews to celebrate Hanukkah. Meanwhile, large banners announcing public lighting ceremonies will be displayed in major city centers as part of the religious obligation to publicize the miracle.
This year, "Heroes of Ukraine" – local Jews who were wounded on the Russian front and received medals for heroic combat actions – will be honored with lighting the central menorahs, recognizing their representation of the fight for freedom and personal sacrifice.
In cities under bombardment, central lighting ceremonies traditionally held outdoors will move inside synagogues. "We are at war, with daily bombings," said Rabbi Nachum Ehrentroi, rabbi of the nuclear city Zaporizhzhia. "It's literally life-threatening to gather people on the street; it's absolutely forbidden. We will hold large lighting ceremonies every evening in the synagogue with an expected attendance of 450 Jews. We have a shelter in the synagogue adjacent to the lighting area, and in case of an attack, God forbid, we can immediately go down to the shelter."
Given the severe economic situation of Ukrainian Jews, humanitarian food packages will be distributed to Jewish families, brightening Hanukkah for thousands, alongside personal menorahs and educational holiday games for children. The food packages will contain various staples, including flour, oil, long-life milk, pasta, rice, baked goods, natural juices, and sweets. Some products are manufactured in Ukraine under the strict kosher supervision of the Ukrainian Kashrut Committee UK, led by Rabbi Pinchas Vishedski, one of Kiev's rabbis.
Rabbi Meir Stambler, chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Ukraine, said: "Despite the escalating war, Chabad emissaries are doing everything to bring light into this great darkness. As then and now, we hope for miracles in the war with Russia and pray for victory in the Holy Land, for the swift return of the hostages, and for the coming of the Messiah."
