Shavuot is just around the corner, and for the Jewish communities in Ukraine, preparations are underway this year under a particularly difficult, complex, and tense security reality.
In recent days, there have been severe and significant attacks across the country: a deadly attack in Kiev led to dozens of casualties, and loud explosions heard in Dnipro continue to remind residents that the danger is still here, at any moment.
Despite this, Chabad emissaries and rabbis of Jewish communities are determined to bring the joy of the holiday to homes, and are launching a large-scale aid operation to provide a little sweetness and hope to children and families.
As part of preparations for the holiday led by the Chabad network in the country, JRNU, local production lines across the country were specially trained to produce tens of thousands of strictly kosher ice cream and dairy products, under leading local brands. The goal is to reach more than fifty communities scattered across Ukraine, and enable them to observe the holiday custom of eating dairy foods.
In addition to the ice cream distribution, the campaign also includes a massive distribution of food baskets filled with high-quality and diverse dairy products. The baskets, which were packaged in particularly large volumes, include a wealth of products: from fresh milk to fruit-flavored yogurts, cream, cream cheeses, mozzarella cheeses, and more.
These baskets allow families to celebrate the holiday as it should be, despite the economic hardships and difficulties brought on by the war. The dairy products were produced under the careful supervision of the Ukrainian Kashrut Committee UK, under the direction of Rabbi Pinchas Vyshetsky, one of the rabbis of the city of Kiev.
Rabbi Yehoshua Vishatsky, who has been running the Oker-Kosher kashrut system in Ukraine for years, said, "Over the years, we have gone through many challenges with the production of Halav Yisrael.".
At the center of the Shavuot festivities: numerous centers for hearing the Ten Commandments that will be held in all cities of the countries, as instructed by the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Children have also been invited and will be treated to lavish parties.
""Our goal is to give some sweetness to the children and the Jews for Shavuot, with everything around it," explained one of the emissaries in Kiev, "The residents here are going through an unimaginable period. The explosions and attacks are part of the routine of life, but we are not giving up on any child or any family.".
Chabad Ukraine JRNU emphasizes that the distribution of baskets and ice cream will continue today and tomorrow in a centralized manner, to ensure that every Jewish family in Ukraine will be able to sit at the holiday table and feel the holiday atmosphere and traditional joy.
Join the Haredim 10 Facebook page >>
Join the X page of Haredim 10 >>
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
