Kiev community members gathered to celebrate Purim at the annual Purim party hosted by R. Raphael and Devorah Rutman. With strict country wide regulations regarding conduct on the streets and curfew, the guests were still able to celebrate Purim in a proper but safe manner.
The theme of the evening was Solidarity with Ukraine, with the room decorated in the now famous Ukrainian flag colors of light blue and yellow. Representatives from the local and international business communities, as well as visiting Shluchim, joined together to celebrate and, most importantly, to fulfill all four mitzvos of the day.
The evening was especially poignant with the participation of Kyiv City Mayor and head of the Kyiv State Administration, Vitali Klitchko, together with his brother, World Champion Boxer Vladimir Klitchko, who joined the party and spoke to the guests, emphasizing their support for the Jewish communities. The acting Israeli Ambassador Liron Finkelstein and the Israeli Consul Laylach Atias were also in attendance, and they both addressed the crowd with words of inspiration and support for the community at large.
The event began in the early afternoon, with a megillah reading, using a unique, one of a kind illustrated Megillah by a famous American artist, generously on loan by one of the members of the Jewish community for the occasion. After ritual hand washing to fulfill the second mitzvah of the day, the festive meal, the guests were ready to fulfill the third mitzvah of the day. Before beginning to eat, the guests were instructed to pick up their appetizer, which had been specially designed with at least 2 separate brachot, and asked to “gift” their neighbor with their plate and receive their friend’s in return, thereby fulfilling the mitzvah of mishloach manot, gifts of food to a friend. In keeping with tradition, the host went around the table greeting and introducing all the guests. After the introductions, everyone stood for a special prayer service led by Rabbi Yossi Glick, head of Tzivos Hashem youth movement in Ukraine, for the safety and good health of all the Jews around the world and especially in Ukraine, during these challenging and difficult times. For the fourth and last mitzvah of the day, matanot l’evyonim, Rabbi Yossi Glick and local community member Igor Chervonenko, made an appeal to raise money for the Jewish Orphanages in Ukraine. Everyone opened their pockets to give what they could to their young Jewish brothers and sisters in need.
Live music provided a party atmosphere and dancing, entertaining the guests with many familiar and popular songs during the meal.
The war may be still raging, but Baruch Hashem the Jewish community in Kyiv had “light, happiness, joy and honor.”
