Rather than leaving the country for safety, many Chabad contacts remain onsite in the midst of war, putting the needs of the Jewish community and beyond first and foremost.
Ukraine is home to some 350,000 Jews. Now, Chabad-Lubavitch is tapping its sprawling international network to help keep them safe during the Russian invasion.
“We’re in touch very much with what’s going on in Ukraine,” says Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov of The Shul-Chabad Lubavitch in West Bloomfield. “There is a very active effort right now of a very large proportion on many levels.”
The Shul is one of many Chabad locations organizing a mass donation campaign to raise money for work in Ukraine. These donations, Rabbi Shemtov explains, are essential to saving lives and getting people out of harm’s way as Russians advance.
Present in 35 cities and towns across Ukraine, Chabad has mobilized its entire community to provide food, shelter, transportation and medical care to Ukrainian civilians.
Rather than leaving the country for safety, many Chabad contacts remain onsite in the midst of war, putting the needs of the Jewish community and beyond first and foremost.
“At this point, there are 15,000 Jewish refugees that have made it out of Ukraine,” Rabbi Shemtov says, “but there are still about a quarter of a million Jews in Ukraine that need help.”
A “Tremendous” Effort
Shemtov explains that many Ukrainian Jews have opted to wait out the war. Some cannot physically leave, while others don’t want to cross the border without men in their family who are of fighting age between 18-60 and kept in the country by martial law.
Others, he says, don’t see the possibility of going to a foreign country and starting a new life, especially without time to prepare. Therefore, getting real-time help on the ground in Ukraine is crucial. Right now, civilians and volunteers alike are forced to work with cash only as banks remain closed, which makes the situation harder to navigate.
Food is also being distributed by Chabad where possible, though some channels are becoming more narrow as Russian forces lay siege to large cities. The network is also assembling buses to transport civilians to safety or getting them train tickets to go west.
Rabbi Shemtov says that Chabad’s budget of $12 million to help Jewish refugees in Ukraine is expected to double or triple very quickly. “It’s a tremendous amount of effort,” he explains. “There are very dedicated people that are going beyond the call of duty.”
Many Chabad centers across Ukraine have been converted into shelters. They’re now refugee centers, complete with cooks preparing food, beds to sleep in and medical care. At these shelters, Jews from across the country gather in safety, working on fortifying their cities to protect them from Russian attacks.
For Ukrainians who manage to cross the border into neighboring countries, Chabad is utilizing its networks in countries like Germany and the Netherlands, among others, to organize evacuation and housing plans for refugees.
“A Chabad in Vienna offered to take in 1,000 refugees,” Rabbi Shemtov says as an example, one of many offers that have come through in recent days.
Doing Mitzvahs for Ukraine
The quick and effective mobilization by Chabad, he says, leaves many people amazed, including himself.
“It’s very heartwarming to see,” Rabbi Shemtov says. “We stand in awe watching these people doing things that seem superhuman, and we want to help them.”
Chabad’s effort, paired with others, has encouraged many Metro Detroiters to step up and offer resources or financial support. Right now, Rabbi Shemtov says the most pressing need is donations, which go directly to the network on the ground in Ukraine to continue gathering food and supplies. “That goes right to the frontline,” he explains.
Outside of that, Rabbi Shemtov is encouraging the Jewish community to support one another through the crisis. “We’re focused on doing mitzvahs, bringing people to light Shabbos candles,” he says, “or doing a mitzvah in [Ukraine’s] honor, which is spiritually very important.”
One of the biggest lessons coming out of the crisis, Rabbi Shemtov continues, is how connected the Jewish community truly is. “It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming,” he says, “the devotion of not forgetting about fellow Jews. It should be an inspiration to us all.”
To donate to The Shul’s Ukraine campaign, visit theshul.net/special/campaigns/ukraine/donate.htm.