Amid hopeful signs of peace negotiations, cautious optimism swept through Ukraine’s Jewish communities, where tens of thousands waited and prayed for peace. Lag B’Omer was celebrated across the country with traditional bonfires and vibrant parades organized by city rabbis and Chabad emissaries, despite the war requiring special municipal permits in many locations.
Preparations began right after Pesach, with JRNU (Chabad’s Ukraine network) distributing truckloads of supplies to emissaries—branded water bottles, snacks, balloons, banners, and educational materials. In Chernivtsi, two parades, one at the famed Ruzhiner synagogue, were held. Another community visited Mezhibuzh, the resting place of the Baal Shem Tov. In Zhytomyr, families came together in a large regional parade led by students of the Ohr Avner school. In Kharkiv, still under threat of shelling, celebrations took place at the historic Tomchei Temimim yeshivah site, concluding with prayers for peace in Ukraine and safety in Israel.
A highlight occurred in Odessa, where hundreds of children, including 123 from local orphanages run by Chief Rabbi Avraham Wolff, marched in a moving parade. Leading the event was 10-year-old Daniel, a student who survived a drone strike only a month earlier. With a torch in hand, he lit the “Flame of Hope” and declared, “They tried to extinguish us, but we will shine brighter. I’m alive, I’m Jewish, and I’m not afraid.” His words moved the crowd of children, staff, residents, and local soldiers to tears.
In Vinnytsia, children marched on donkeys specially brought for the occasion. Celebrations were held in nearly every major Ukrainian city, with one exception: Zaporizhzhia. Due to ongoing missile attacks, Rabbi Nachum Ehrentreu, the city’s emissary, said they could not hold the parade this year.
