By COLlive reporter
A delegation of the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, led by CEO Avi Cohen-Scali, recently experienced a close encounter with the extraordinary activities and resilience of the Rebbe’s Shluchim in Ukraine, who have been tirelessly working under intense fire for over a year and a half since the outbreak of the war with Russia.
Cohen-Scali and the ministry’s team are currently visiting Ukraine, accompanied by the rabbis and representatives of Chabad’s Jewish Relief Network Ukraine (JRNU), which provides essential assistance to Jewish communities and operates under the guidance of the emissaries.
This was the first time since the war began that the ministry’s team got a firsthand look at the deep involvement of Chabad and their challenging struggles, requiring immense physical and emotional resources. Witnessing their heroism and unwavering commitment to their communities, even during the most challenging times, left a lasting impact on the delegation.
During the visit, the ministry’s team engaged with rabbis from various cities in Ukraine, who shared the extensive activities carried out throughout the year, despite the difficult conditions. They described their preparations for the upcoming Tishrei holidays and winter months, which demand exceptional arrangements for food, medicine, and operating generator systems to ensure the smooth functioning of the communities.
The Shluchim present included Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Wolff – Kherson, Rabbi Yonatan Markowitz – Kyiv, Rabbi Mordechai Levenharz and Rabbi Simcha Levenharz – Kyiv, Rabbi Shalom Gopin – Kyiv, Rabbi Avraham Wolff – Odessa, Rabbi Yehoshua Vishetsky of the Vaad Hakashrus of Ukraine, Rabbi Shaul Horowitz – Vinnytsia, and Rabbi Menachem Mendel Glitzenshtein – Chernivtsi.
Representing the JRNU were Rabbi Shlomo Peles and Rabbi Chaim Friedman, and they were joined by Igor Shadkin – Head of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Southern Ukraine.
The ‘Simcha Chabad’ School in Kyiv hosted the meeting under the leadership of Rabbi Levenharz and his wife Devorah Leah Levenhartz. It provided an opportunity to inaugurate the new ‘SmartJ’ Club, part of a network of educational institutions that operate across the former Soviet Union.
The clubs are a collaboration between the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS, the Ohr Avner Foundation, and the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs. It is intended for Jewish children attending public schools.
“It enables them to enrich their knowledge with a wide range of subjects, including Jewish studies, in addition to their regular curriculum,” says Mrs. Levenharz, who directs the Kyiv branch.
During an emotional speech at the housewarming ceremony, Mr. Cohen-Scali stated, “The Rebbe saved the Jewish people. I simply see it with my own eyes, under my hat as the CEO of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs.”
