Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Kalman Ber, visited the Jewish communities of Ukraine during an official visit to the country with Minister of Religious Affairs Michael Malchieli.
The tour began in the city of Uman, where Rabbi Ber visited the grave of the 18th-century hassidic leader, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, and at the institutions belonging to the rabbi of the city, Rabbi Ya'akov Jan. During the visit, the Chief Rabbi delivered a lengthy sermon at Rabbi Jan's yeshiva.
The historic visit is the first by an Israeli Chief Rabbi to the grave in Uman. Later, Rabbi Ber met with a delegation from the Dnipro region, which is the home of the largest Jewish community in Ukraine. The Chief Rabbi and Minister Malchieli met with the regional governor to advance matters concerning the Jewish community. "Just like the Jewish people, the Ukrainian people know how to turn their big crisis into growth," Rabbi Bar stated during the meeting.
Later, they toured the Menorah Jewish Center in Dnipro, led by Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetsky.
The delegation remained in Dnipro for Shabbat, where the hospitality, prayers, and Torah classes were organized by the community’s director, Rabbi Zelig Brez.
On Saturday night, the community participated in a Torah scroll-writing ceremony, during which the Chief Rabbi was honored with inscribing a letter.