Kyiv Shluchim Pull Off a Dream 4 Years in the Making

FJC.ru

Two years into the crisis in Ukraine, the ‘Simcha’ Jewish community in Kyiv, under the leadership of Rabbi Moti and Mrs. Devorah Leah Levenharts, has achieved a remarkable milestone with the inauguration of a magnificent new Mikvah to serve its thriving community.

The journey to the completion of this Mikvah has been arduous, spanning over four years of construction, which was abruptly halted by the outbreak of the crisis. However, through unwavering dedication and perseverance, the community has finally seen their dream become a reality.

The dedication ceremony, a historic event for the area where tens of thousands of Jews reside, was attended by hundreds of Jewish women, marking a significant moment of celebration and unity.

In a column Mrs. Levenharts reflects on the challenging journey toward this celebration:

“This is the way a dream come true looks, a vision we dreamt of for a long time. There were moments when it looked like it would remain only a dream. When it began to be a reality, the crisis broke out. In an instant, all that we had worked on for four years seemed to vanish. In the campaign to raise funds, the community contributed minute sums that they could contribute. They wanted to be part of the project. It added up! Construction began and progressed, and structures were visible, and then everything stopped.”

“Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, before dawn. That evening, we came to the community center, which was the safest. Other families joined us… We realized we had to evacuate the children. It was an instant! The curfew was lifted, and we had to get out! Twenty-five years of building a community, who knows if and when we’ll come back, and to what? I thought of the Mikvah, drenched with blood, sweat, and tears. This can’t be! The Mikvah cannot remain uncompleted and unused. This thought kept me going. It gave me the hope and belief that we’ll be back.”

The inauguration of the new Mikvah has not only brought joy and celebration to the ‘Simcha’ Jewish community but has also sparked newfound interest and enthusiasm among the wider Jewish population, with many expressing their desire to participate in Jewish rituals such as marrying under a Jewish Chupa and Mikvah.