FJC Brings Chanukah to Rural Communities of Western Ukraine

ZHITOMIR, Ukraine –- This year, Ukraine saw the largest comprehensive initiative effort ever aimed at spreading Chanukah light to rural Jews and those otherwise hard to reach due to extenuating circumstances. For this holiday period, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine simultaneously carried out initiatives aimed at dispersing light to reach as many Jews, as far and effectively as possible.

Through this major drive, hundreds of children and youth in 63 small towns and villages received a special package containing a Chanukah Menorah, 36 candles, an informative brochure on the holiday, Chanukah Gelt and various sweets. In addition to this, more than 1,800 Jewish families residing in 134 settlements also received similar gifts. Such a successful outreach effort was made possible thanks to the generous support of Messrs. I. Dvoretskiy and A. Abdinov – businessmen from Ukraine who wanted to bring this holiday to Jews in even the most remote parts of the country.

Two other aspects of this Chanukah drive also brought the light of Chanukah to small and remote communities, extending from Zhitomir to the border near Lvov. The first involved visits to dozens of communities – on every day of the eight-day holiday – by six Dnepropetrovsk ‘Yeshiva’ students, who organized candle-lighting gatherings with local Jews and treated them to traditional donuts. The second involved the organization of seven automobiles, each of which had a large Menorah affixed atop. Between these vehicles, the light of Chanukah reached hundreds of smaller communities across Western Ukraine.