By COLlive reporter
As Ukraine continues to endure the strain of prolonged war, a large-scale Pesach relief operation is underway across the country.
In recent days, trucks loaded with tens of tons of supplies have begun departing from central warehouses operated by Jewish Relief Network Ukraine (JRNU), the Chabad network in Ukraine.
The shipments include vast quantities of both hand-baked and machine-made shmurah matzah, in line with the Rebbe’s directive that every Jew be provided with shmurah matzah for the Seder, along with other Pesach necessities.
On the ground, the scope of the effort is evident. Warehouses are filled with neatly stacked pallets and thousands of labeled boxes prepared for distribution to dozens of cities. Volunteers work in difficult conditions, loading cartons of kosher-for-Pesach food as temperatures remain low and security risks persist.
Alongside the matzah, large quantities of kosher-for-Pesach meat and poultry are being dispatched, particularly to communities organizing public Seders and operating communal kitchens.
The aid packages also include a wide range of staple products such as oil, olive oil, sugar, salt, Pesach cookies, nuts, and more. In total, hundreds of thousands of individual items are being sorted and shipped, designated for both local families and Shluchim serving on the front lines of Jewish life in the region.
Organizers say this year’s operation is especially complex. Now in the fifth year of war, infrastructure challenges and security concerns continue to complicate access to many areas.
“There are cities with unstable electricity, and regions that require special permits to enter,” said Rabbi Simcha Levenhertz, who is coordinating the effort on the ground. “But the Shluchim are not leaving their communities. Every Jew will receive shmurah matzah. This is a directive of the Rebbe that does not stop — not under drones, not under shelling, and not even for cities that are difficult to reach.”
Shipments are leaving daily, some accompanied by volunteers, others traveling under the threat of sirens.
“Pesach is the Festival of Freedom,” Levenhertz added. “For the Jews of Ukraine, that freedom begins with knowing they have not been forgotten — with shmurah matzah arriving at their door and the vital assistance they need to celebrate Yom Tov.”
