Jewish communities in Ukraine have completed preparations for the High Holidays for the fourth time in the shadow of war, after a year marked by an increase in the number of Jewish soldiers killed and attacks on Jewish institutions.
According to data released this week, the past year has been particularly difficult for Ukrainian Jews: the number of Jewish soldiers killed in combat has increased compared to previous years, many Jewish institutions have been hit by Russian missiles, and the number of Jews drafted into the army has increased.
The situation has been worsened by the loss of some US support, the advance of Russian forces on the battlefield, and the intensification of attacks on city centers.
In addition, donations from world Jewry to communities in Ukraine have decreased significantly due to the transfer of resources to support Israel.
Despite the difficulties, the Federation of Jewish Communities in Ukraine and Chabad emissaries distributed 51,500 holiday kits to Jews in 169 cities and towns this week. The distribution included warring regions in the east, such as Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as cities in the west near the Polish border.
Each kit included a booklet of Jewish laws, honey, candles, a Hebrew-Ukrainian calendar, and a children's book translated into Ukrainian for the first time.
The communities' chairman, Rabbi Meir Stambler, said: "After an especially difficult year, tens of thousands of Jewish households will celebrate the New Year and ask God to say enough to our troubles."