On Monday, the Chabad Shliach and Chief Rabbi of Kyiv, Ukraine, Rabbi Yonatan Binyomin Markovitch was honored to sit in the front rows at the official ceremony commemorating the 29th anniversary of independence of Ukraine.
He used this opportunity to have important conversations and interactions with various senior officials including the President of Ukraine, Mr. Vladimir Zelensky (who is Jewish), the Mayor of Kyiv, Vitaly Klitschko, and several Ministers.
During the ceremony, which was broadcast nationally on all the major media outlets, President Zelensky spoke about the urgent need for unity in the country, saying, “Just like a mother needs all her children to be united, so too all the different people of Ukraine must come together in unity… regardless of language, religion or nationality. We are ultimately brothers and sisters, children of Ukraine.”
In conversation with Rabbi Markovitch afterward, Mr. Zelensky thanked the Jewish community for their great contributions to Ukraine, and promised to continue his warm cooperation with them going forward.
VIDEO:
Made me want to break out into Nizhuritzi Chloptzi.
Was stuck in ukraine once and he treated us like kings like we were big balabatim even though we are simple people