Jewish institutions in Ukraine are under attack.

The Chabad Ohr Avner school in Odesa, which has provided a warm Jewish education and safe haven for hundreds of teens, orphans, and refugees from across Ukraine, suffered a direct hit during an overnight attack and is completely unusable.

Early Thursday morning, Rebbetzin Chaya Wolff, director of the Chabad school network in the city, made a difficult decision: high school students will temporarily relocate to study alongside the elementary school children.

“It’s hard, the heart aches,” she says. “The teenagers are sitting in classrooms built for younger children, sitting in hallways and shelters that were adapted this morning to accommodate the high school as well. It is very difficult, but when there is room in the heart, there is room in the classrooms too.”

The Jewish high school, a symbol of continuous Jewish education even in the shadow of war, was heavily damaged. However, Rabbi Avraham Wolff, Chief Rabbi of Odesa and Southern Ukraine who founded and directs the network of institutions, refuses to speak of giving up, not even for a moment.

“We have rebuilt in the past,” he says. “We will rebuild again. The Mishpacha Ukraine network, which includes children’s homes, schools, elderly care centers, and refugee shelters, continues to operate non-stop. We’ve pushed forward with even greater vigor since the beginning of the war, through every barrage, every power outage, every night of uncertainty, and even through this dark night.”

Massive explosions and direct hits also struck right next to the Mishpacha Ukraine orphanage at 32 Bazarnaia Street. At the very first siren, the caregivers were already on their feet. It wasn’t their first time, nor their hundredth. It has simply become the routine of daily life over the past few years.

“The moment we heard the siren, we woke the older children,” says Rabbi Wolff, Shliach of the Rebbe in the Ukrainian port city. “The caregivers, together with the older children, helped us wake the younger ones. We carried them in our arms to the shelter. We barely managed to close the door before the massive explosion hit. It shook the entire street, but the speed at which we acted was more crucial than ever this time. We realized that there was a direct and lethal hit right next to us.”

Rabbi and Rebbetzin Wolff emphasized the incredible resourcefulness of the caregivers. “Every caregiver knows her role,” they say. “Every child knows where to run. At the orphanage, no one waits for instructions; they simply react and act correctly. We’ve done this hundreds of times. This is our reality. And tonight, this discipline saved lives.”

This morning, the orphanage staff sat down with the children to explain the situation and offer comfort and strength. Damaged windows and doors will be repaired, and broken furniture in the bedrooms will be replaced.

But first and foremost comes the children.

“The children are our top priority,” Rabbi Wolff says. “Before everything else, we make sure they feel safe. We ensure they know there are people who love them, care for them, and will never leave them. Only after that do we rebuild.”