Israel’s Finance Minister on Chabad in Ukraine: “The army of God”

And Hashem roars aloud At the head of His army; For vast indeed is His host, Numberless are those that do His bidding. For great is the day of Hashem, Most terrible—who can endure it?

Joel

2:

11

(the israel bible)

March 3, 2022

2 min read

Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman praised the rabbis from the Chabad branch of Hassidic Judaism as “the army of God.”

“I want to bless the Chabad rabbis,” Lieberman said to the media “ They. They are doing amazing work there. They’re truly God’s army.”

His praise is well-placed. The Chabad branch of Hasidic Judaism is mainly known for its extensive outreach activities. Under the former leader, the late Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the movement has established centers worldwide. The Chabad houses offer kosher meals and religious services in many locations that don’t have active Jewish communities.

Chabad Rabbi Jonathan Markovitch, the Chief Rabbi of Kyiv, has pledged to stay and care for those unable to flee. His synagogue is feeding people who come for meals and delivering meals to those who cannot leave their homes.

 “We have 200 people in the community who cannot walk because they are seriously ill,” Rabbi Markovitch said. “They cannot move. They stay in their bed. We feed them.”

“We help not just the Jewish people. We are helping here today everybody who needs help because our synagogue has a basement, and it’s the only basement in all the area. A lot of people who want to hide when there’s panic come to the synagogue, and they have shelter.”

The Chabad website claims that in Ukraine, 350,000 Jews are served by 200 Chabad emissary families in 35 cities and towns. Many of these emissaries have chosen to remain in war zones to help those who cannot leave. Chabad centers have been stockpiling food and distributing them to local families.  

Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, has been rocked by increasingly heavy aerial bombardment and shelling. The synagogue basement is being used as a shelter for many families. For the time being, prayer services have continued at the appointed times.

The Chabad media reported that many of the emissaries are helping those who wish to make aliyah to Israel, though this is difficult at this stage. 41-year-old Roman Brodsky, an Israeli citizen, was killed last week while reaching Romania.

Chabad maintains Jewish orphanages in Zhytomyr—the children were evacuated farther west this week—Odesa and Dnipro. Chabad also holds a Jewish university in Odesa and has built the most prominent Jewish center in the world in Dnipro.

But the history of the Jews in Ukraine is a difficult one. Before Hitler invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, Ukraine was home to the largest Jewish population in Europe. With a history of anti-Semitism, Ukrainians aided the Nazis in carrying out the Final Solution. An estimated one and a half million Jews were killed there.

Lieberman went on to praise the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nativ Liaison Office, and the Ministry of Absorption, saying that the Israeli government is not sparing any expense or effort to help the Jews of Ukraine.

Lieberman was born in the former Soviet Union, immigrating to Israel in 1978. 

Israel365 is currently undergoing efforts to bring Jews trapped in Ukraine back to Israel. Please help by clicking on the image below.

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