Jewish refugees brought to Israel from Ukraine experienced a number of Jewish holidays for the first time, after an anti-assimilation group organized gatherings for recently-arrived refugees.
Rabbis from the Yad L'Achim organization spent the holidays with refugees in seven cities across Israel, organizing special activities designed especially for them. Some of the rabbis moved with their families to these cities to open congregations tailor-made for refugees, protecting them from missionaries who approach them in the guise of offering humanitarian assistance.
In the seven cities - Ashdod, Nof Hagalil, Karmiel, Kiryat Yam, Netanya, Haifa and Ramat Gan – Yad L'Achim organized prayer groups for Rosh Hashana that were followed by festive holiday meals for thousands of refugees who have no family to celebrate the holiday with.
Some of the refugees related, with great emotion, that this was the first time they had recited the prayers of the holy day and observed it in accordance with Jewish tradition. Many returned for Yom Kippur, when the fasted the entire day and participated in the prayer ceremonies.
Earlier, "Selichos Tours" were arranged that included visits to synagogues in Jerusalem, Tzfat (Safed) and pilgrimages to the graves of prominent rabbis, together with instructions in how to participate in the special prayers. In addition, Yad L'Achim distributed hundreds of thousands of shekels worth of food coupons and packages filled with basic holiday necessities.
The scope of activities increased dramatically over Sukkot, beginning with the distribution of sets of the Four Species, the hosting of families in sukkos, and the attendance at joyous "Simchos Beis Hasho'eva" celebrations, and concluding with tours and events for the children on Intermediate Days during Sukkot.
Rabbi Gavriel Tzarevski, a Yad 'Achim activist in Ashdod, recalled: "On Erev Chag Sukkos we set up a giant, 48-meter sukkah. During the holiday we merited to host more than 200 guests, refugees, and veteran immigrants. Every evening they sat for beautiful Yom Tov meals spliced with divrei Torah and songs and dancing until the early hours of the morning."