Jewish School in Kyiv Damaged in Russian Drone Strike
by Avraham Denburg – chabad.org
The Perlina Jewish Kindergarten, a division of Chabad-Lubavitch’s Or Avner Jewish Day School in Kyiv, Ukraine, was hit by a Russian drone last night in an attack that caused significant damage to the structural integrity of the building.
The school, which opened in 2001, is run by Rabbi Yonatan and Elka Markovitch—who also co-direct Chabad of Kyiv—and serves some 130 Jewish kids in kindergarten through fifth grade. Additionally, it has served as a haven for Jewish refugees from other cities, hosting many more people for programs and Sunday Hebrew school.
“It truly was a miracle the kids were not around, and no one in the school was hurt,” says Rabbi Ariel Markovitch, the couple’s son, and with his wife, Cherry, director of Chabad Young Professionals in the Ukrainian capital. Markovitch received a call about the attack at around 4 a.m. local time, and immediately headed to the site.
Emphasizing the miracle, he points out that the damaged area was where the children play during school hours and adds that school vehicles were damaged as well. “You look around at the damage, and you can only thank G‑d that it took place when no one was there,” he said.
Judi Garrett, COO of Jewish Relief Network Ukraine, or JRNU, Chabad’s umbrella aid organization in Ukraine, agrees. Garrett, whose organization works closely with the Markovitches and other Chabad emissaries in the city to provide aid and social programs to the community in Kyiv, in addition to other Ukrainian cities, was woken in the middle of the night to a message about the attack. She was quickly on the case alongside JRNU’s executive director, Shlomo Peles, coordinating with those at the scene to determine how they could be of assistance.
Garrett says the school’s security team had installed a special coating on the windows just last year, which helped prevent extensive interior damage from the attack. She adds that this is not the first time she has felt the Grace of G‑d protecting children in war-ravaged Ukraine since the war began nearly three years ago.
While both rabbis’ phones have been ringing off the hook with pledges of support, Rabbi Ariel Markovitch says many local Jews are calling in need of support and advice. He notes that nobody in Kyiv at this point is a stranger to the horrors of war, but that this attack has hit particularly close to home.
“When children and schools are attacked, even strong people can become weak,” he says. “Having emunah, faith in G‑d, is the most important thing. Without it, we have nothing.”
Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko, a former professional boxer, visited the site on Wednesday, pledging governmental support. Also offering aid was Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky, who promised to mobilize help from people in Israel.
Given how recently the attack occurred, Chabad of Kyiv is still reviewing the damage to the building, and working on a temporary home for the school. Moving the school temporarily to the synagogue and community center is on the table, among other options. Whichever direction they go, they vow to reopen the school as soon as possible.
“The light of Torah and Jewish education in Kyiv will not be dimmed,” says Rabbi Yonatan Markovitch. “Just as the Or Avner school has remained operational throughout the war, so, too, will we continue to nurture our children’s souls, even in these challenging times.”
Donations to help the Jews of Ukraine can be made at Chabad.org/Ukraine.
