Andrew Cohen, a renowned American film director and producer based in New York, who currently resides in Geneva, has arrived in Ukraine to produce a documentary about life in the shadow of the war. Cohen, together with his crew, toured Jewish communities and arrived in Kyiv last Sunday. He wanted to light a Hanukkah candle, but the hotel lobby staff did not cooperate.
To his surprise, Rabbi Rafael Rotman entered the lobby. Rabbi Rotman is the rabbi of a Chabad synagogue in Kyiv and the vice chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine. The rabbi asked Andrew, “Are you Jewish?” Andrew replied, “Yes, I’m looking for a way to light a Hanukkah candle here. This is my Hanukkah miracle,” he said emotionally.
Rabbi Rotman is responsible each year for placing large menorahs in the lobbies of all the major hotels in Kyiv, enabling Jewish travelers to fulfill the mitzvah. This year, he installed new menorahs, larger than before, after the warehouse where the menorahs were stored was damaged several months ago by a Russian missile.
On the third night of Hanukkah, the lighting of the third candle took place in Maidan Square, in the heart of the Ukrainian capital. Joining Rabbi Rotman at the traditional ceremony were Ms. Julie Davis, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Ukraine, and Mr. Piotr Łukasiewicz, Ambassador of Poland to Ukraine. On Sunday, the menorah in Maidan Square was also lit by the Mayor of Kyiv, Mr. Vitali Klitschko.
In addition, a moving candle-lighting ceremony was held in the office of Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Yuliia Anatoliivna Svyrydenko, with the participation of the Chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine, the emissary Rabbi Mayer Stambler; Rabbi Rafael Rotman; and the devoted emissary brothers of Beit Wolf - Rabbi Avraham Raba, Chief Rabbi of Odesa, and Rabbi Yossi Raba, Chief Rabbi of Kherson.