Published: 14 July 2023
Last updated: 5 March 2024
They learned about the needs of Jewish soldiers and Jewish concepts including kashrut, shabbat, tzitzit and tefillin.
An extraordinary gathering took place recently at Kyiv’s Brodsky Synagogue.
Chaplains from Ukraine’s military filled the pews to listen to Jewish religious officer Rabbi David Milman as he explained what Jewish soldiers might need to observe their religion in the army.
Among those listening was Colonel Olaxy Trashok, commander of Religious Service in the Ukrainian army.
The officers’ visit was the result of an initiative by Rabbi Moshe Azman, the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, who believed it was needed to ensure better understanding.
Ukraine is a heavily Christian country with 85% of the population as Christians, most with Eastern Orthodoxy. The split between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in 2018 is among the issues that split Russians and Ukrainians.
The Institute for Jewish Policy Research estimates there are about 40,000 self-identifying Jews in Ukraine but another 50,000 with one Jewish parent who may identify as partly Jewish.
The community has been a very active part of the war effort, with the synagogue in Kherson serving as a major aid centre.
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Ukrainian military chaplains learn about Judaism (Ynet)
