Ukraine’s Jewish Connection
Ukraine is very much in the minds of those attuned to global news. When the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) splintered in 1991, all 15 republics became separate nations.[1] Most of us would struggle to name them all or place them on a blank map.
“Mother Russia,” of course, continued to dominate the region. It is by far the largest European country by population (nearly 146 million; Germany is second with almost 84 million)[2] and military personnel (over 3.5 million; France has 388,000 by comparison[3]). Russia’s territory stretches across 11 times zones over more than 6.6 million square miles.[4]
By contrast, Europe’s second largest country by land mass is Ukraine. Official statistics list Ukraine at about 233,000 square miles,[5] slightly smaller than Texas. But we watched in February 2014 as Russia took over the Crimea,[6] swallowing up 10,000 square miles and 2.4 million people.
“Liberating” the Donbas Region, with its significant ethnic-Russian population of 3.5 million, has for some years been projected as a means of increasing the Russian Federation’s “Russian” population[7] and restoring some of the glory of the failed Soviet Union. (Included with that coup are significant mining and manufacturing resources; the Donbas contributes 20% of Ukraine’s overall production.)[8]
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, world markets felt an immediate and significant economic impact.[9] The full force of that downturn is yet to be realized.
For Russia’s neighbors, and specifically the 30 NATO countries,[10] the actions of the giant nuclear power to the north raises all kinds of alarms. Wisdom is needed to know how to restrain the ambitions of a dictator intent on gobbling up territory – very reminiscent of Europe’s diverse responses to Hitler’s early moves at the start of WWII.
What would God call us to do?
Many are hearing reports from fellow believers in the Ukraine. Their circumstances differ depending on location, and the invasion is still in its infancy as of this writing (2/24/22). But the peril is more than theoretical for many. Some churches are opening as shelters; others are training their people in first aid.[11] The desire is to meaningfully share God’s love in an ongoing crisis. But one request in every message is, “Please pray!”
For those who share God’s heart for the Jewish people, concern is constant for the descendants of Jacob in harm’s way. In past centuries, Ukraine has seen significant developments in Jewish communities. The rise and growth of Hasidic Judaism was sparked by the teaching of Rabbi Isaac, “the Baal Shem Tov,” in Medzhybizh in the 1730s.[12] Today many Hasidic sects are identified by the names of the Ukrainian cities where their Grand Rebbes lived, e.g., Belz, Skver, and Vishnitz.[13]
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov[14] is entombed in Uman.[15] Annually tens of thousands of Hasidim gather at his gravesite to recite 10 Psalms and invoke his blessing for an assured eternity.[16] Perhaps Ukraine’s most famous Jew who was not a rabbi was the prolific author Sholom Aleichem.[17] His “Tevye the Milkman” is the basis for the famed musical Fiddler on the Roof.
Today some 43,000[18] Ukrainians self-identify as Jews; the broader number is as great as 300,000.[19] Even the larger number is far short of the Jewish population of Ukraine a century ago. Tragically, more than one million Ukrainian Jews perished in the Holocaust. The Babi Yar massacre in September 1941 stands as one of history’s worst.[20]
Given the history of persecution of Jewish people in Ukraine,[21] one might be surprised to learn the government is headed by a Jewish president, Volodymyr Zelensky.[22] Under Zelensky’s leadership, the Ukrainian Parliament passed a law banning antisemitism in September 2021.[23]
The clouds of war have been darkening over Ukraine for some time. Since armed conflict began in 2014 in the Donbas, some 14,000 Ukrainians and Russian separatists have perished. Despite the efforts of the Ukrainian government and NATO nations to forestall a Russian incursion,[24] the full-on invasion has begun.
Options for evacuating Ukrainian Jewish communities, as well as Israelis in Ukraine,[25] have been discussed. But with war a present reality and transportation options severely limited, “shelter in place” seems more the order of the day.[26] Many elderly Jews live in small villages (like the shtetls of Fiddler on the Roof) but the majority live in cities. Here are the estimated Jewish populations[27] of some of the largest: Kyiv (100,000), Dnipro (60,000), Kharkiv (45,000), Odessa (45,000), Uman (“several hundred”), and Lviv (perhaps 200).
A ballistic missile does not discriminate. Any atheist, Orthodox or Evangelical Christian, or Jewish individual in the blast zone will suffer the same mortality. Missiles from a fighter jet, an artillery round, or a rifle bullet will similarly be experienced by those in their deadly path.
This solemn reality is underscored as we watch events unfold from afar on our screens. May we not be mere bystanders, appalled at the unfolding atrocities. May the Lord impel us to pray – not only for the security of those under threat, but especially for the salvation of those nearest to death.
We long for the day when wars shall cease. Meanwhile, we must be among those who seek to rescue the perishing. And may we always be mindful of the truth that the gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile” (Romans 1:16).
Written by Wes Taber, LIFE Global Ambassador
Do you have personal connections with anyone in Ukraine for whom you are praying? Please pray with us for the believers seeking to minister amidst the chaos of war and for the salvation of many – including the Jewish people on both sides of this conflict.
Would God have you help in a tangible way? Your gift to Life in Messiah designated for “Ukraine project” will be distributed to Messianic believers in Ukraine.
For what are you having to trust God as the world deals with the possibility of protracted war in Europe? What will it look like for you to respond in humility, faith, and obedience to the war’s impact, including economic?
Endnotes:
[1] https://aintoz.com/en/post-soviet-states/.
[2] https://www.worldometers.info/population/countries-in-europe-by-population/.
[3] https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/strongest-militaries-europe-according-bi/.
[4] https://www.worldometers.info/geography/largest-countries-in-the-world/.
[5] Ibid.
[6] https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/ukraine/.
[7] https://southfront.org/russia-should-integrate-donbass-and-gain-3-5-million-russians/.
[8] https://www.newsnationnow.com/world/ukraine-crisis/at-a-glance-the-donbas-region/.
[9] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/crypto-markets-plunge-following-russias-invasion-of-ukraine/articleshow/89807065.cms.
[10] https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/nato_countries.htm.
[11] https://thegospelcoalition.cmail20.com/t/t-l-qpkkhd-zkillkktd-o/.
[12] https://www.jewishhistory.org/the-baal-shem-tov/.
[13] Less-known Hasidic groups with Ukrainian roots include Boyan, Chernobyl, Machnovka, Munkacz, Nadvorna, Rachmastrivka, Sadogura, Skolye, and Zvhil. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hasidic_dynasties.
[14] https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/rabbi-nachman-of-breslov.
[15] http://jewua.org/uman/. [Sad note: on the first day of Russia’s shelling Ukrainian cities, one man was killed in Uman: https://www.jewishpress.com/news/global/europe/ukraine/jews-trapped-as-bombing-begins-in-uman/2022/02/24/.]
[16] https://www.azamra.org/Essential/grave.htm. For video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwqwf9eOLgg.
[17] https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0017833/bio.
[18] https://forward.com/fast-forward/482954/who-are-ukraine-jews-and-how-is-russian-invasion-affecting-them/.
[19] As always with demographics, definitions of “who is a Jew” vary. Della Pergola’s 49,000 figure reflects “core Jews” with a strong Jewish identity; the larger numbers reflect those with Jewish heritage but not necessarily attending synagogue, etc. See https://jewishunpacked.com/ukraines-long-and-complicated-jewish-history/.
[20] German records show 34,000 Jewish people were murdered in one week in the Babi Yar ravine; perhaps 100,000 ultimately perished there. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/babi-yar.
[21] Among the most egregious, the murder of Jewish people in the Chmielnicki Massacres of 1648-1649 is well documented; the total number killed is not. https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/chmielnicki-khmelnitski-bogdandeg; see also https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4346-chmielnicki-bogdan-zinovi; https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4685-cossacks-uprising and https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/haidamacks.
[22] https://www.timesofisrael.com/ukraines-jewish-tv-comedian-turned-president-thrust-into-starring-role-in-crisis/.
[23] https://www.timesofisrael.com/ukraine-bans-antisemitism-with-new-law-but-does-not-stipulate-punishments/.
[24] https://www.crisisgroup.org/content/conflict-ukraines-donbas-visual-explainer.
[25] https://ukrainianjewishencounter.org/en/news/tel-avivs-government-complex-was-wrapped-in-a-giant-ukrainian-flag-at-rally/.
[26] https://www.jweekly.com/2022/02/24/ukraines-jews-hunker-down-as-russian-invasion-becomes-reality/.
[27] https://www.jta.org/2022/02/24/global/who-are-ukraines-jews-and-how-is-russians-invasion-affecting-them.