For young Jewish men in Ukraine, it is terrifying to step outside. Soldiers roam the streets to conscript by force any male between 18 and 60, sending them to the front lines. As the war intensifies and US help declines, the inscriptions are becoming all the more dangerous.
Three years have passed since the war broke out in Ukraine, and while much of the world has moved on, thousands of Jews remain trapped in life-threatening conditions. The humanitarian situation is deteriorating, with forced conscriptions, failing medical systems, and winter’s deadly grip tightening on those left behind.
For most, escaping Ukraine today is nearly impossible. The Ukrainian government enforces strict conscription laws, preventing men between 18-60 from leaving the country. Many Jewish families remain torn apart, with some members safely in Israel or the U.S., while others are forced to stay behind—at risk of being taken off the streets and thrown into military service.
Ariel, a 30-year-old Israeli citizen with dual nationality, thought he had found a safe place to hide. But a local police officer revealed his location to military recruiters. In the dead of night, they broke down his door and took him away. ‘They took his phone. He just disappeared,’ his sister says in horror.
Abraham, a 31-year-old Jew from Kharkiv, had planned to leave Ukraine with his mother, serving as her medical escort to Israel. But while waiting for the final documents, she passed away. Instead of being allowed to grieve, Abraham was forcibly taken by military recruiters. His signature was forged on ‘volunteer’ enlistment papers, and despite his medical history, he is now expected to fight.
Anna, an 89-year-old Holocaust survivor, was finally rescued from Kharkiv and brought to safety in Kishinev. But while waiting for her journey to Israel, she was taken to Turkey by a representative of her daughter’s Muslim husband—without any choice. She was held in isolation for months, deprived of medical care, and completely cut off from the outside world.
For three years, Rabbi Yitzchak and Hodaya Chalfon have been at the forefront of rescue efforts, working to bring thousands of Jews to safety. What began as their personal escape from Kharkiv turned into an urgent mission to save as many as possible.
The challenges continue to mount. Ukrainian hospitals are overwhelmed, with 1,336 medical centers bombed. Doctors are ordered to discharge patients with no care but morphine. Elderly and sick Jews have nowhere to turn. As temperatures plummet to -20°C (-4°F), entire buildings are left without heat or electricity.
Despite the overwhelming odds, rescue efforts continue, with over 5,000 Jews brought to safety. But for each person rescued, many more remain behind—hiding in small rooms, dependent on brave relatives for survival, hoping their turn for salvation will come before it’s too late.
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