Chabad shluchim and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU) have completed distribution of special Passover kits and Shmura Matzot to tens of thousands of Jewish households across Ukraine.
The distribution effort, which began immediately after the Purim holiday, reached Jewish families in 169 communities throughout the country. Workers and volunteers prepared and packaged the kits at the Federation’s logistics center in Dnipro, a city in eastern Ukraine known as the “Capital of Ukrainian Jewry.”
According to FJCU representatives, each Passover kit contains handmade and machine-made matzot, wine, grape juice, a Seder plate, a kiddush cup, a Seder plate puzzle, holiday and Shabbat candles, a Haggadah translated into Ukrainian, and an informational pamphlet about the holiday.
In a first-time initiative, hundreds of soldiers received specially-designed matzot exactly the size of a “kezayit” (the obligatory size), which the organization describes as “the smallest matzot in the world.” These compact matzot, hand-baked at Dnipro’s “Tiferet HaMatzot” bakery, measure approximately 18 cm in diameter compared to standard 30 cm matzot.
“The smaller size allows soldiers to carry them to the front lines without occupying much space,” said a Federation spokesperson. Soldiers also received the standard Seder kits distributed to civilians.
Despite escalating missile attacks on major cities, night curfews, and numerous young Jewish men serving in combat roles, Chabad emissaries with Federation support will conduct 41 public Seders across Ukraine. Approximately 20,000 Jews are expected to participate in these gatherings, marking the fourth consecutive Passover observed during wartime conditions.
Rabbi Mayer Stambler, Chairman of the Jewish Communities of Ukraine, expressed hope amid the ongoing conflict: “After four full years of war filled with ‘bitter herbs’, we are confident that in the upcoming Festival of Freedom we will merit to sit in the holy city of Jerusalem and eat from the sacrifices and from the Passover offerings, together with our righteous Moshiach.”
The Passover holiday begins on April 12th this year and commemorates the Jewish people’s liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt.
