Jews of all ages across Ukraine celebrated Passover last month in spite of escalating challenges.
To help make this a reality, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee provided nearly 53,000 boxes of matzah and coordinated scores of community Seders throughout the country—at Jewish Community Centers, at “Warm Home” gatherings of elderly Jews, in large cities, in towns and villages.
And just as they have been for more than two decades, some of these Seders were led by a cadre of young volunteers, who remind even the most isolated that they are part of one big family.
From a spirited Seder featuring a klezmer band in Kharkov…to a Simferopol Seder at the city’s “Old Crimea” restaurant… to a holiday camp for families held in the outskirts of Kiev, JDC ensured that Passover in Ukraine and beyond was as vibrant, robust, and meaningful as ever.
At this uncertain time, celebrations of Jewish culture and tradition persevere. JDC spokespeople say it “is committed to caring for Ukraine’s most vulnerable Jews, fostering a continuing connection to yiddishkeit, and providing for needs both tangible and spiritual.”