Chabad of Poland Launches Emergency Appeal To Feed Over 5,000 Local and Ukrainian Jews During Rosh Hashanah
As the Jewish High Holidays approach, Chabad of Poland is mobilizing to provide over 5,000 meals and food packages to assist both local and displaced Ukrainian Jews celebrate Rosh Hashanah. This initiative comes at a critical time, reflecting the organization’s commitment to community support amid ongoing challenges.
In Warsaw, Chabad plans to celebrate the Jewish New Year by uniting hundreds of community members and Ukrainian refugees for communal prayers, festive meals and special celebrations. To enhance the experience, the group will welcome 10 rabbinic interns from Israel, who will lead prayer services and perform traditional shofar blowing both at Chabad of Poland’s Jewish Center on Słomińskiego Street, as well as at rented a ballroom to accommodate the expected influx of participants at six satellite locations throughout the city. Some of the rabbinic interns will also serve as temporary Jewish chaplains for those incarcerated in a nearby prison.
Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on October 2 and concludes with the end of Shabbat on October 5.
Chabad of Poland is diligently preparing for the holiday, having already procured thousands of apples and jars of honey, key symbols for helping to reign in a Sweet New Year. They are also baking thousands of Challahs and arranging for large quantities of chicken, fish, kiddush wine and other traditional foods to be served in Warsaw and shipped to those in Ukraine.
To date, over 700 supporters from around the world have contributed to this important project. However, additional funds are still needed to reach even more families in need. Those wishing to participate in the global campaign can visit www.saveajew.org.
“Our sages teach us that on this holiday, the heavenly courts review our actions from the past year,” said Chabad of Poland Director Rabbi Sholom Ber Stambler. “From already a month before our ‘hearing’ we self-assess our actions, apologize to G-d through prayer and in-person to those we might have wronged, give more focus to our own religious practice and give more charity. The high holidays are a time and action, showing G-d we want to do better so that He judges us more favorably, and so that He inscribes us in the book of life, health, wealth and all things good.”
“At the climax of the holiday prayers, we call out G-d’s recipe for success, that repentance, prayer, and charity to reverse harsh decrees,” said Chabad of Poland Co-Director Rabbi Mayer Stambler. “It has now been more than 30 months since the start of Russia’s incursion into Ukraine. During that time, Klal Yisrael has partnered with us, as emissaries on the ground in Poland, to help tens of thousands of Jews still in Ukraine and those fleeing. Once again, as the holidays approach, we turn to our partners to help us bring Yom Tov to our brothers and sisters, both in Poland and Ukraine. Let’s together do for them the charity we hope Hashem will do for us on Rosh Hashanah.”
The effort represents a broader commitment to Jewish unity and support, particularly in times of hardship. By providing food and community connections during Rosh Hashanah, Chabad of Poland aims to ensure that all Jews can partake in the blessings of the holiday, fostering hope and resilience in their lives.
Since the start of the Russian incursion into Ukraine, Chabad of Poland based in Warsaw has opened its doors to Ukraine’s Jewish community offering refuge, transportation, kosher food, medical aid, financial and material assistance, childcare, educational and social services, communal activities, and administrative and legal aid to tens of thousands displaced by the conflict. Since the start of the war, Chabad in Poland has seen its expenses rise by more than US$2.5 million. For more information or to contribute to relief efforts, please visit: www.saveajew.org.
