As 50,000 Russian troops mass near Kharkiv, Ukraine’s Jewish community distributes tens of thousands of Shavuot aid packages and plans nationwide Torah readings.
While Russia positions 50,000 troops near Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, for what officials call a new “summer offensive,” the country’s Jewish community continues preparations for the upcoming Shavuot holiday with unwavering determination.
Following the collapse of peace negotiations due to unreasonable Russian demands, intelligence reports indicate Moscow has been amassing forces in recent days for a potential assault on Kharkiv. This military buildup follows weeks of unprecedented large-scale attacks across 30 Ukrainian cities that have claimed the lives of dozens of civilians.
Despite hopes just a month ago that this year’s Shavuot might be celebrated amid a ceasefire, Ukrainian Jews are moving forward with holiday preparations characterized by joy and spiritual devotion.
On Monday, communities completed the distribution of 39,500 special Shavuot packages to tens of thousands of Jewish homes across the country. The massive effort, coordinated by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU) and local Chabad emissaries, provided families with Shabbat and holiday candles, illustrated Ukrainian-language booklets about Shavuot, printouts of the Ten Commandments, traditional dairy treats, hygiene products, and specially-designed coloring pages for children.
The Ten Commandments materials come from an ambitious first-of-its-kind project to translate the entire Torah into Ukrainian, involving a dedicated team of Torah scholars and Ukrainian linguists working on translation, editing, and proofreading.
Given the worsening security situation, organizers also distributed several tons of drinking water to remote communities as part of their expanded humanitarian assistance program.
Jewish communities throughout Ukraine are organizing public readings of the Ten Commandments at 40 synagogues nationwide, with thousands expected to attend, especially families with children.
Rabbi Mayer Stambler, who leads Ukraine’s Jewish communities, explained the emphasis on reaching young people: “This aid package targets children primarily because they represent the future of both the Jewish people and Ukraine’s Jewish community. The Torah was given for their sake, and we must invest all our energy in helping them connect with our magnificent tradition, embrace it with pride, and pass it on to the next generation.”
Looking beyond Ukraine’s borders, Rabbi Stambler offered holiday wishes: “We extend warm Shavuot greetings to our Jewish brothers and sisters worldwide, and we pray earnestly that the A-lmighty will grant us the merit to celebrate this holiday of receiving the Torah in the Third Temple, witnessing the fulfillment of the promise of redemption.”
