Diaspora Jewry
Since most people will not be able to leave their homes, Chabad-Lubavitch’s Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine has prepared more than 50,000 seder kits complete with shmurah matzah, grape juice, bitter herbs and Haggadahs.
Roughly 70,000 boxes were ordered; the packages will be sent to Hungary and then transferred to Ukraine.
Unlike other events that are broader in scope and may be attended by people in different fields, MedEx is only for medical professionals who are planning to move to Israel in the next year or two.
Those on the ground in Ukraine provide updates on facts and figures, and share stories of heartbreak and inspiration.
The program will significantly reduce the timeline for eligibility checks.
William Daroff celebrated Purim with Chabad, Poland’s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich and Jewish refugees, and met with a senior aid to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The assistance program is the result of a combined effort by the ministers of defense and immigration.
The refugees are immigrating under an expedited process recently approved by the Israeli government.
“The Romanian government has helped and is helping Israel save many lives,” says Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid to Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu.
Israeli organizations are helping refugees of all faiths, as they do in any world crisis. But this time, there’s also a Jewish connection.
“This is a matter of life and death, quite literally, and we see that with every interaction,” says Rabbi Eli Wolff, who works at the Kfar Chabad center.
A report projects that Jewish residents in Judea and Samaria will grow to more than 1 million by 2046.
