Warm Welcome for Ukraine Shluchim at JFK

A busload of bochurim and dozens of anash made their way to JFK, giving a warm welcome to the Levinson and Raices families, who arrived in New York after traveling for over 5 days from their place of shlichus in Kharkov, Ukraine.

By Anash.org reporter

A busload of bochurim and dozens of anash made their way to JFK, giving a warm welcome to shluchim Rabbi Chaim Levinson and Rabbi Levi Raices and their families, who arrived in New York after traveling for over 5 days from their place of shlichus in Kharkov, Ukraine.

Among those greeting the shluchim were Rabbi Yossi Rapp of ChabadAir, who expedited the shluchim’s entrance through customs, as well as Rabbi Yaacov Behrman, Rabbi Lazer Avtzon, Senior Advisor to Mayor Eric Adams Joel Eisdorfer, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit Fred Kreizman, and NYPD Community Affairs Commanding Officer Inspector Richie Taylor.

For Rabbi Levi Raices, leaving his community was a gut-wrenching experience. Since 1994, he had been dedicated to the needs of the community, but as the city was invaded and the missiles fell just down the street from his home, he had no choice but to take his family and run.

“At this point you can’t sleep, you can’t leave your home—we had to go,” Raices told Chabad.org. “If you’ve never felt this, I hope you don’t find out. It’s difficult to describe.”

Their journey took them through Moldova, Romania and Poland before they finally arrived in New York. They plan to bentch gomel tomorrow in 770, thanking Hashem for saving their lives as they fled the bombardment in their hometown.

In JFK on Sunday, the crowd burst into song when the shluchim emerged, thanking Hashem for rescuing them, while praying for the continued miracles for their fellow shluchim and Yidden in Ukraine.

To donate to the help the Kharkov shluchim continue their hold work: Fjc-fsu.org/centers/kharkov/
To donate to the Chabad Ukraine fund: Chabad.org/Ukraine