A top rabbi in Kyiv urges those celebrating the Jewish festival of Purim to remember the Jews of Ukraine’s capital during the traditional megilah reading.
Rabbi Jonathan Markovitch, who returned to Kyiv after fleeing the Russian invasion, tells Israel’s Walla news site that a private security firm and Ukrainian troops are guarding the synagogue and Jewish community center.
“They sleep with us and eat with us and we feel safe with them and are very happy in their company,” he says.
The rabbi adds: “Today it’s a risk to read the megillah in Ukraine, but we are reading it live, not on Zoom… We will read the megillah across the world and whoever can should remember the Jews of Kyiv when he reads it.”
Regarding his decision to return, Markovitch says he wanted to help the Jews of Kyiv.
“These are the most miserable people possible. Jews who can’t leave for various reasons. Some are kids, women and the parents of men of enlistment age who didn’t want to leave them here alone. Some are old, disabled and sick,” he says.
It's not (only) about you.
Supporting The Times of Israel isn’t a transaction for an online service, like subscribing to Netflix. The ToI Community is for people like you who care about a common good: ensuring that balanced, responsible coverage of Israel continues to be available to millions across the world, for free.
Sure, we'll remove all ads from your page and you'll unlock access to some excellent Community-only content. But your support gives you something more profound than that: the pride of joining something that really matters.
Join the Times of Israel Community
Join our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this