At 6 AM of Erev Chanukah, thirteen rockets hit Kharkiv’s electricity and heating infrastructure leaving over a million residents without heat or light and no electricity to power the menorah displays. But at 4 PM, the electricity was restored and ten Menorahs lit up the dark city.
This year, there was no one in Kharkiv who didn’t know when Chanukah was. The city was alive with the spirit of the holiday, thanks to the efforts of the community and the shluchim.
From the giant video billboards throughout the city sharing Chanukah messages and images of the Rebbe, to the ten large menorahs displayed in malls, the subway, Barabashova market, and the main streets, Kharkiv was illuminated with light. Car menorah parades spread the festive glow, reaching every corner of the city. In addition, over a thousand packages of food and menorahs were distributed to Jewish homes, while a grand Chanukah concert for more than 600 people left everyone smiling and filled with warmth during these challenging times.
After two years of dark streets during Chanukah, this year was different. The streetlights in Kharkiv were finally turned back on, and the opportunity to place a large menorah on Sumskaya Street in front of the Opera Theater was one that couldn’t be missed. Workers quickly began constructing the new menorah, which was completed late Tuesday night, just before Chanukah began.
But then, on Wednesday morning—Erev Chanukah—at 6:00 AM, thirteen rockets hit the city’s electricity and heating infrastructure. Over a million residents were left without heat or light. Valentin, the builder, called to ask, “We’ve got all the menorahs up, except for the one on Sumskaya. Should we still go ahead?”
Rabbi Moshe Moskovitz gave the green light. The team of workers, along with the truck, set off to install the new menorah on Sumskaya Street, which had become a popular gathering place for Kharkiv residents in recent weeks.
As Chanukah began at 4:00 PM that day, a miracle occurred: the electricity was restored just in time, and ten large menorahs lit up the city, shining brightly in the darkness.
Each day, the shluchim braved the freezing weather to stand by the menorahs, speaking with passersby and giving out menorahs. Some people took photos of the menorahs to share with their Jewish friends in Haifa, while others proudly took selfies with the menorahs they received.
Svetlana, with tears in her eyes, snapped a picture of the menorah to send to her family in Beer Sheva. She had left Kharkiv for Israel when the war began but returned to help her elderly uncle. Feeling lost and unsure of where to turn for support, she was overjoyed when she saw the menorah shining brightly. It led her to the help and guidance she needed from the shluchim. Tragically, on the seventh day of Chanukah, her uncle passed away, but the community was there to arrange a Jewish funeral and burial, all because of the light of the menorah.
At the grand Chanukah concert and program, hundreds of young and old enjoyed the festivities. Men and boys put on tefillin, everyone savored chocolate-covered doughnuts and latkes, and children crafted their very own dreidels.
Rabbi Moshe Moskovitz, the shliach and Chief Rabbi of Kharkiv, shared a powerful message: “Not only do we add a light every night of Chanukah, increasing the light with each passing day, but this Chanukah has to be brighter and more meaningful than the last. We must shine even more than before.”
He expressed his gratitude to the mayor and the city for allowing the menorahs to be displayed throughout Kharkiv and presented Mayor Igor Terekhov with a handmade menorah featuring an image of “Derzhprom,” the main government building, which had recently been struck by missiles. The menorah symbolized the triumph of light over darkness. This year, the people of Kharkiv experienced firsthand the power of light, goodness, and hope in overcoming darkness and evil.
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