Dozens of families of the Rebbe’s shluchim from all across Ukraine were welcomed at the Menorah Center in Dnipro on Thursday ahead of the joint Shabbos Achdus for the Ukrainian shluchim.

Despite the distances, security challenges, and the complex realities on the ground, shluchim came from Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Kremenchuk, Chernivtsi, Kryvyi Rih, Niklayev, and more – to spend Shabbos together, all under one roof.

Welcoming the shluchim at the hotel entrance were Shliach Rabbi Shmuel Kamintzky, Rabbi Reuven Kamintzky from the Shabbos Achdus Committee, Rabbi Shlomo Salmon from Kremenchuk, Shliach Rabbi Shmuel Levenhartz from JRNU, and members of the local community.

A sign at the entrance read: “Welcome – Shabbos Achdus for the Families of the Rebbe’s Shluchim in Ukraine”, and each shliach received a personal gift basket upon arrival from the Chabad Ukraine network JRNU.

Shluchim who hadn’t seen each other for months reunited, children ran between their parents, and shluchos embraced each other with excitement.

“Some shluchim traveled over 18 hours,” said Rabbi Shmuel Levenhartz. “The roads are very challenging these days, and the weather is especially wintry, with snow in many cities. It only shows how important this Shabbos is to the shluchim.”

The main hall featured impressive panels with a special focus on the Rebbe’s words about shlichus in this generation – “the work of shlichus now, and of every Jew, is expressed in greeting Moshiach Tzidkeinu”.

The Shabbos program is expected to be rich and varied, including Chassidus classes, shlichus gatherings, Farbrengens, workshops for women, children’s activities, and festive meals. On Friday night, a central meal will be held with mashpiim and veteran shluchim, followed by a Farbrengen continuing into the early hours of the morning.

The series of events will open in the afternoon with the completion of a Sefer Torah that will enter the Jewish community in Niklayev, led by Shliach Rabbi Sholom Dovber Gottlieb.

“This Shabbos is truly a breath of fresh air for the shluchim families, who dedicate twenty-four hours a day to their community members under especially challenging wartime conditions,” JRNU said in a statement.