A holiday in the shadow of the war: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy lit the first candle of Hanukkah in his office this evening (Thursday), along with Chabad emissaries who are also rabbis of cities in Ukraine. The meeting and lighting was initiated by the "Federation of Jewish Communities in Ukraine" (FJCU) headed by Chabad emissary Rabbi Meir Stambler.
Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetzky, rabbi of Dnipro and the chief Chabad emissary in the city, lit the fancy menorah together with the president. In his words, Rabbi Kaminetzky said that "the war in Ukraine is the Hanukkah miracle of our time - the many in the hands of the few."
The limited event was also attended by Rabbi Moshe Moskowitz, Rabbi of Kharkov, Rabbi Moshe Asman, Rabbi of Kyiv, Rabbi Yonatan Markovich of Kyiv, Rabbi Mordechai Shlomo Bold, Rabbi of Lviv, Rabbi Avraham Wolf, Rabbi of Odessa, Rabbi Mordechai Edri, Rabbi of Krivoy Rog, where President Zelenskyy was born, Rabbi Mendel Wilhelm Rabbi of Uzhhorod and more.
After lighting the candles, Zelenskyy spoke with the rabbis and expressed his appreciation for their work with the Jews of the country throughout the year. At the meeting, Stambler said that despite the holiday, it is time to remember "our brothers and sisters who are held captive by the terrorist organization Hamas and to praise the heroism of the soldiers on the battlefield in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip." He also said at the end of the meeting that "President Zelenskyy stated that he is sure that the light will defeat the darkness in Ukraine and the Holy Land."
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