Honey Factory in Ukraine Koshered For Rosh Hashana

Facing their second Rosh Hashana under fire, the Jews of Ukraine are preparing for the new year amid constant stress and anxiety. FJC and JRNU will provide thousands of food packages and honey jurs manufactured in a local Ukrainian facility that has been certified for a kosher run.

Preparations are underway in the Jewish communities across Ukraine as the month of Tishrei 5784 approaches. Despite the ongoing conflict, community rabbis and Chabad emissaries are making significant efforts to uphold tradition and communal unity despite the circumstances.

This year, for the first time, FJC and Chabad’s Jewish Relief Network Ukraine (JRNU), has produced the majority of holiday items specifically in the country to support local businesses and manufacturing.

In recent days, a special facility has been certified kosher for the production of pure honey. Additionally, facilities for kosher meat and poultry have been certified.

In the upcoming week, large aid convoys will depart, assisting the scattered Jewish communities in cities across Ukraine. Vast quantities of food products will descend upon Jewish centers, from which they will be distributed to community members through an organized and respectful system.

The list of food products includes poultry, meat, and honey, dairy products, Israeli honey cakes, locally produced honey cookies from Zaporizhzhia, a variety of canned goods, and spreads. Each food package is accompanied by accessible and vibrant explanatory pamphlets in the Ukrainian language detailing the holiday traditions, along with a unique calendar integrating Jewish themes and images.

In the Ukrainian Jewish communities, record participation in synagogue services and holiday activities is anticipated this year. “We are gearing up for a record number of worshippers in synagogues and holiday events,” shared one rabbi. “After over a year and a half of conflict, we all pray for a new year of calm and peace.”