A Convoy of Trucks, Matzah for Every Jew, and 100 Tons of Food: Ukraine Prepares for Passover

With just over a week until Passover, FJC rabbis and Chabad emissaries in Ukraine are making their final preparations for the holiday, which will feature large public Seders attended by tens of thousands of Jews.

These days, trucks loaded with hand-baked matzah produced in Israel, wine, poultry, and kosher dairy products are crossing the country as part of a massive operation led by Federation of Jewish Communities (FJC) and Chabad’s JRNU network in Ukraine. The goal: to bring the joy of the holiday to every Jewish home, from major cities to remote villages, even under the complex conditions of the ongoing crisis.

More than 100 tons of kosher-for-Passover food will be distributed to Jewish communities through 50,000 Passover aid packages. In recent weeks, a special kosher meat and poultry shechita has been carried out under strict supervision.

“Chabad emissaries, who support the communities year-round, are doing everything to ensure that no family is left without what they need for the holiday,” says JRNU. The operation is supervised from the FJC offices in Ukraine by Rabbi Yehoshua Vishedsky and Rabbi Simcha Levenhartz.

Reports from across Ukraine describe intense preparations. Rabbi Avraham Wolff, Chief Rabbi of Odessa and Southern Ukraine, shares how the community is gearing up for multiple Seders: “There will be Seders at the central synagogue and additional ones in various parts of the city,” he says. “Additionally, we will host a Seder for kindergarten children, another for school children, two more at the FJC Mishpacha orphanage, and two Seders for students.” The city is preparing for dozens of events tailored for all age groups, from preschoolers to university students.

In northern Ukraine Chernivtsi, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Glitzenshtein shares: “We are preparing to fulfill the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s directive to ensure that every Jew receives hand-baked matzah. As always, we are committed to making sure that every community member has everything they need for Passover. We are also preparing for the main community Seder, which will host hundreds of Jews.”

Rabbi Glitzenshtein oversees various teams, each responsible for a different part of the effort: delivering matzah and food packages to every Jewish household, including homebound elderly individuals, and organizing the central Seder. “Over the years, the Seder has become one of the most significant community events, with nearly 500 participants.”

In the capital, Kyiv, preparations are underway for Seders with hundreds of participants. “We rent a hotel for the holiday period so that those who wish to fully observe the holiday can do so,” explains Rabbi Simcha Levenhartz. “Additionally, we ensure that every Jew receives matzah and grape juice for Passover.” Rabbi Simcha notes that hundreds of families will receive special Passover food packages, ensuring that no Jewish home is left without holiday essentials.

“All this is being made possible,” says Daniel Gordon from FJC’s Resource Development Department, “thanks to the immense dedication of our partners and donors from across the globe—caring families and individuals, foundations, and philanthropists—who love their fellow Jews and want to ensure that no Jew is left behind.”