One of the Most Impressive Yeshivas in the Jewish World Opens in Ukraine Following an Investment of Over €8 Million

The new yeshiva has been established in the Jewish village of Anatevka, near Kyiv, and is set to open its doors at the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul. Its founder, Rabbi Shmuel Azman, stated: “We have created all the necessary conditions to enable students to dedicate themselves fully to learning and to their personal and spiritual growth.”

At a festive ceremony held over the weekend, the “Tomchei Temimim – Beit Binyamin” Yeshiva was officially inaugurated in the Jewish village of Anatevka on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine. Rabbis, supporters, and guests from several countries attended the event to mark the completion of one of the most significant Jewish educational projects established in Ukraine in recent years.

Anatevka, where the new yeshiva has been built, was founded in 2015 by Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Moshe Azman, to provide a home for Jewish families who were forced to leave their communities due to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Named after the famous Jewish shtetl from Fiddler on the Roof, the village has developed into a vibrant Jewish community featuring residential housing, educational institutions, and synagogues.

The new yeshiva was constructed at a cost of more than €8 million, funded by a philanthropist who chose to remain anonymous. It is scheduled to welcome its first students at the beginning of the upcoming month of Elul, with the admissions process for the inaugural class currently in its final stages.

According to the yeshiva’s founder, Rabbi Shmuel Azman, the campus was designed to provide a modern, high-quality educational environment that integrates outstanding residential, academic, and recreational facilities. “We have created all the necessary conditions to enable students to devote themselves to Torah study and to their personal and spiritual development,” he said, “within an environment that supports their growth around the clock.”

The campus features a central study hall (Beit Midrash), a library, dining facilities, student dormitories, a mikveh, sports facilities, and open spaces dedicated to learning and educational activities. In addition, a large-scale bunker was constructed on-site to address the complex security realities in Ukraine.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the project is that construction began just days after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Despite numerous challenges, work continued uninterrupted until the completion of the new campus.

Among those attending the inauguration ceremony were Rabbi Moshe Azman, Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Axelrod, Chief Rabbi of Moldova, along with dozens of rabbis and public figures from Israel and across Europe who traveled specifically for the occasion.

The yeshiva’s leadership notes that the institution is intended for students seeking to immerse themselves in full-time Torah and Chassidic studies. Its mission is to provide an outstanding educational environment alongside a strong sense of community and Jewish values. According to its administrators, the opening of the yeshiva represents another important milestone in the renewal and strengthening of Jewish life in Ukraine, even during one of the most challenging periods in the country’s history.