4 months ago

President Zelensky Lights Menorah with Ukrainian Shluchim

In the presidential bunker of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the first candle of Chanukkah was lit this evening, in a ceremony attended by Chabad Shluchim and state rabbis. The event, which takes place annually, was organized by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU), which oversees Jewish life in 169 communities throughout the country • Full Story

The ceremony took place against the backdrop of one of the most intense Russian attacks since the war began. Since early this morning, Russian forces have launched hundreds of missiles and drones targeting energy infrastructure in many cities. Due to the recent escalation of rocket attacks, including on Kyiv, the rabbis were asked to keep the ceremony brief and limit the number of attendees to ensure everyone’s safety.

At the president’s request, the lighting was held at a special gold menorah that he received a year ago from Argentine President Javier Milei during his inauguration, with the assistance of Chabad’s Chief Rabbi in Argentina, Rabbi Tzvi Greenblatt.

The menorah was lit by Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetsky, Chief Rabbi of Dnipro and Chabad emissary, who later expressed that all citizens of Ukraine are proud of the president’s steadfast leadership. “We hope that the candles of Hanukkah will symbolize our victory as well,” he said.

Zelensky, a proud Jew, addressed the rabbis after the lighting, saying, “It’s been almost three years since the war began, and despite the terror we’ve seen today in attacks on civilians, we are winning against all odds—few against many, weak against what was thought to be one of the strongest armies in the world, purity against impurity. We will win and are already winning because there is no other choice. I am proud of you, the rabbis, for staying here with us despite the hardship, and for your ability to leave if you wished.”

Rabbi Meir Stambler, Chairman of the Jewish Communities of Ukraine and organizer of the event on behalf of the Federation, conveyed the message of the Lubavitcher Rebbe for Chanukkah: “Chanukkah teaches us about the victory of the few over the many, and the triumph of light over darkness. Each of us has the responsibility to bring light to the darkness, especially in such a dark time when both Israel and Ukraine are fighting for their independence. We are at the final moments of exile, and we hope that from the redemption of Hanukkah, we will transition to the true and complete redemption, where ‘nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.'”

At this point, on behalf of all the rabbis and Jews of Ukraine, Rabbi Stambler and his deputy, Rabbi Raphael Rotman, presented President Zelensky with a prestigious gift—a handcrafted menorah created in Jerusalem, made with 24-carat gold and featuring a relief of the Holy Temple. Zelensky was visibly moved by the gift and said he would place it in his office.

The event was also attended by other prominent Ukrainian rabbis, including Rabbi Moshe Asman, Rabbi Jonathan Markovitz of Kyiv, Rabbi Moshe Moskowitz of Kharkiv (which has been heavily shelled), Rabbi Mordechai Levnehertz of East Kyiv, Rabbi Yechiel Levitansky of Sumy (near the border, suffering heavy bombardment), Rabbi Yosef Wolf of Kherson (which was under Russian occupation and is currently one of the most heavily shelled cities), Rabbi Abraham Wolf of Odessa, Rabbi Shalom Gottlieb of Mykolaiv, and Rabbi Mordechai-Shlomo Bold of Lviv.

Also this evening in Kyiv (Thursday), Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and 15 ambassadors participated, as they do every year, in the lighting of the largest menorah in Ukraine, located in Maidan Square in the heart of Kyiv, organized by Rabbi Raphael Rotman.

Throughout the holiday, Jewish Ukrainian war heroes who were injured on the frontlines will light Hanukkah candles in several cities across the country, in events organized by the *Federation of Jewish Communities* with the help of Chabad emissaries in Ukraine. The Federation has also placed large billboards across the country about the holiday of Hanukkah.

Rabbi Meir Stambler concluded: “Hanukkah is a holiday of light and miracles. I am confident that there will be miracles both in the Holy Land and here. We pray for the coming of Moshiach, when the ultimate victory of good and light over darkness and evil will be fully realized.”