Ukrainian Jews Prepare for a Third Chanukah Amid War

In a state of war with daily bombings, tens of thousands of menorahs will be distributed throughout Ukraine for families and Chanukah games for children. Giant menorahs will be placed in city centers, illuminating streets cloaked in darkness, while others will light their menorahs near shelters.

As the freezing weather sets in, the JRNU warehouses of Chabad of Ukraine are bustling with activity, packing tens of thousands of festive kits to be distributed to Jewish communities across the country. This marks the third Chanukah being celebrated under the ongoing war.

Simultaneously, while preparations are underway for the grand Yud-Tes Kislev celebrations in Jewish communities throughout Ukraine, the Rebbe’s shluchim in the region are organizing a large-scale Chanukah campaign, bringing the light of the miracle to millions, particularly to tens of thousands of Ukrainian Jews.

Given the severe economic hardships faced by Ukrainian Jews, humanitarian food packages will be distributed to Jewish families. These packages, along with personal menorahs and meaningful Chanukah games for children, will bring light to countless homes during the Festival of Lights.

The food packages will include essential items such as flour, oil, long-life milk, pasta, rice, baked goods, natural juices, and sweets. Some of these products are locally sourced under the strict supervision of the Ukraine Kashrus Committee, led by Rabbi Pinchas Vishedski, one of Kyiv’s prominent rabbis.

Meanwhile, public menorah lightings are planned in several major cities, organized by Chabad shluchim, with the participation of Jewish community members and local dignitaries. These events, enabled by special permits from the authorities, aim to ensure that Jews can safely celebrate Chanukah. The menorahs will light up the darkened streets of Ukraine’s cities, many of which are shrouded in complete darkness every evening due to the war.

In cities under heavy bombardment, public menorah lightings that were previously held outdoors will now take place inside synagogues. “We are in a state of war; there are daily bombings,” said Rabbi Nachum Erentroy, rabbi of the nuclear city of Zaporizhzhia. “It’s a literal danger to life to gather people in the streets, and such gatherings are strictly forbidden.

“Each evening, we will hold a large lighting ceremony in the synagogue, with an estimated attendance of 450 Jews. Our synagogue has a shelter adjacent to the lighting area, so in case of an attack, G-d forbid, we can immediately retreat to the shelter.”