1,000 Days Into War, First Ever Tehillim Published in Ukrainian

Marking 1,000 days since Ukraine has been at war with Russia, Shluchim in Ukraine partnering with the FJCU have translated the first ever Ukrainian translation of the Tehillim, as a spiritual shield to protect the Jewish soldiers fighting on the frontlines of the battlefield.

Ukraine marks today (Tuesday) 1,000 days since the devastating war began with Russia. To commemorate this symbolic milestone, the printing of 100,000 pocket-sized Tehillim books has been completed for distribution throughout the country. What makes these Tehillim particularly special, beyond their portable format, is that they represent the first-ever Ukrainian translation of the text.

Rabbi Levi Engelsman, who leads the publishing team in Dnipro, known as ‘the capital of Judaism in Ukraine,’ explains: “This is a special initiative by the Federation of Jewish Communities in Ukraine (FJCU) aimed at providing spiritual protection to as many Jews as possible. These pocket-sized Tehillim, which they can carry everywhere, are meant to serve as a spiritual shield and protection. We believe that the Tehillim read from these books will surely ascend before the Heavenly Throne and fulfill their protective purpose.” Beyond distribution to the country’s Jewish population through Chabad shluchim in various cities, tens of thousands of additional copies are being distributed to soldiers of all faiths across all fronts. This distribution, similar to Yom Tov supplies distribution, is coordinated through Federation representatives working alongside the Ukrainian army.

Rabbi Meir Stambler, Chairman of Jewish Communities in Ukraine, emphasizes: “A crucial aspect of rabbinical integration with the country’s Jews is speaking their language. When they chose Ukrainian over Russian, we needed to adapt accordingly. This is why, after publishing the Chumash, Haggadah, Megillas Esther, and children’s books in Ukrainian, we decided the Tehillim should follow suit. The language,” he continues, “is integral to the war narrative. When Ukraine announced several years ago their intention to make Ukrainian the official language, replacing Russian which had been dominant for many years, we understood this applied to us as well.”

“Furthermore, there’s another crucial consideration: battlefield victory is intrinsically linked to spiritual victory, which is why publishing the Tehillim in Ukrainian is so important – it’s our way of contributing to Ukraine’s triumph.”

Through an agreement with Kehot, Chabad’s official worldwide publishing house, rights were granted to publish the book with identical specifications in color, size, and pagination to Tehillim books published by Kehot in over ten languages worldwide. “Our goal is to ensure the Ukrainian Tehillim matches those from around the world,” the publishing team explains. “This way, when Ukrainian Jews visit Shulls globally, they’ll find the local Tehillim familiar in format to their own. Every detail has been carefully considered. Moreover, when a Jew enters a Shull and sees Tehillim in Ukrainian, it creates an immediate connection. They feel addressed in their native language, understanding that Judaism isn’t an antiquated practice in an abstract language, but rather something adaptive and relevant to every situation.”