Ukraine Shliach: Ceasefire of Little Relief

Chabad emissary to Luhansk, Ukraine, Rabbi Sholom Gopin, who barely escaped the war raging between pro-Russian separatists and the military, says the recently struck cease-fire has done little to alleviate the suffering of the local Jewish community.

From Israel Hayom by Yehuda Shlezinger:

Russia and Ukraine may have declared a cease-fire, but the damage from the war is palpable, and the Jews of Ukraine are among the victims. Rabbi Shalom Gopin, the Chabad emissary in Luhansk who managed to flee the inferno and recently arrived in Israel, says recent events have once again brought to life concepts and catchphrases from a much darker period in history — “refugees,” “camps,” “death,” and “smuggling people out to save their lives.”

Gopin, 40, is a married father of seven. Born in Kfar Chabad in central Israel, he received his training and education in hassidic institutions. As an emissary, he first went to Russia, where he was stationed in the town of Kazan. From there, he relocated to Luhansk, where he has spent the last 15 years. The Jews in this small town were searching for a rabbi, which led Gopin to make the move.

“We found 7,000 registered Jews there,” Gopin said. “But there were a lot more who did not associate much with the community because they didn’t feel the need to do so. They were content with the situation, and it was convenient at the time. We built a kindergarten there, another Jewish school where 120 kids enrolled, a synagogue, a mikveh [ritual bath], a kosher kitchen, and even a store with kosher products.”

The war between Ukraine and Russia, he said, exacted a heavy toll on the community.

Located just 35 kilometers (28 miles) from the Russian border, Luhansk, an eastern Ukraine town that lies within the region that is more sympathetic to Russia, has bore the brunt of the conflict between the two countries, and the bad blood it has stirred. After packing just six suitcases, the Gopin family picked up and left, fleeing with the sense that there was no other choice.

“We had a big house, a car, and many possessions,” he said. “We had to leave everything behind. We ran away from there. We are very much refugees.”

This part of Ukraine has been torn between Moscow-friendly elements and pro-Western forces that have wanted closer ties with Europe for the better part of a decade. Residents have felt alienated and harassed by the Ukrainian authorities, which have become irate over the brazenly established Russian foothold in the area.

“This was a slow deterioration,” Gopin said. “Then, one night, Russian forces took control of a large building that belonged to the main security forces in Luhansk. There was an arsenal of weapons there, so from that moment the situation quickly went downhill.

“The Russians took over state buildings in Luhansk, like the police building and the building that housed the district governor. They evicted everyone from the Ukrainian military camps. At the time, the situation wasn’t so dire because Ukraine didn’t retaliate. When it did retaliate, we began to feel the war and its impact. Fighter jets were flying over our house, the shooting escalated.”

While the fighting escalated, it was still limited to areas beyond Luhansk’s municipal boundaries, and as long as it did not come closer, Gopin felt that the proper thing would be to continue with his routine for as long as possible. Soon, however, the frightening realities of war crept closer.

“Two months ago, we decided that enough was enough,” he said. “This was immediately after the Ukrainians, for no particular reason, bombed the city center. They hit just half a kilometer from the synagogue. The entire building shook. We decided to leave and not to continue to put ourselves at risk. We decided to flee.”

Gopin is shaken by the memory of the incessant shooting. Asked to recall the moment that things reached a breaking point, he said, “Shells, Katyusha rockets, mortars, missiles in every direction. Houses were abandoned and the city became a ghost town.”

“A month ago, a mother and her daughter were killed,” he said. “They were members of the community. They were survived by an orphaned grandchild. They had gone out to do some shopping at 11 a.m., and a shell exploded near them, killing eight people in total. The situation got so bad that there was nobody to gather up the dead bodies. They were left there until the evening. It took a week for them to be buried.”

After this incident, Gopin and the rest of the Jewish community tried to get away from the upheaval and spent time in a resort in the nearby town of Zhytomyr. This short respite turned into a one-way trip after the situation deteriorated further. The fighting in the east intensified, and the constant shelling in Luhansk simply made it impossible for them to return home.

When they embarked on their trip to Zhytomyr, Luhansk was still somewhat functioning. Five days later, he recalled, things worsened.

“The town’s train station was bombed, so it was impossible to leave the city in an orderly manner. Afterward, there was no electricity or running water. The phone lines were down and the town was disconnected. To this day, over a month later, nothing has been repaired. The people in the conflict zone are cut off from the outside world.

“That was when I started to receive messages from a number of Jews from outside of Luhansk, who wanted to know if I heard something, or if I met one of their relatives who stayed behind. They asked us to extricate their relatives from there, but this was impossible. The Ukrainians besieged Luhansk. It was impossible to get in and impossible to get out. The situation there is catastrophic.

“There’s no food, no water, no medicine. Hundreds of Jews in their 60s and 70s are trapped there. I don’t understand how the State of Israel can ignore the fact that Jews are living there under conditions that are reminiscent of 100 years ago.”

The unfolding humanitarian crisis began to put in motion rescue efforts. In recent weeks, under a veil of secrecy, a number of people have devised creative measures to smuggle Jews out of the area. One man who has been particularly active and prominent in these efforts is Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, the president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. Eckstein has raised considerable funds for the endeavor as well.

Eckstein’s efforts have been supported by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, as well as by local Chabad officials who are familiar with the community.

“This situation is reminiscent of dark periods of history,” Gopin said. “One of the town’s boarding schools was turned into a giant shelter. Over 20 people, families with children, lived there until we managed to get them out.”

The rabbi also mentions people on the ground whose heroic deeds saved lives.

“A Jewish woman rented an apartment in a nearby town and contacted smugglers from all sorts of organizations, Christian missionaries, who finished the task. It reminded me a lot of a military operation,” he said.

“In the last three weeks, approximately 80 Jews were smuggled out. I don’t understand how people manage to survive there for over a month, when they are living just on bread and vegetables that are smuggled in there.

“The town is under siege. Hundreds of elderly people are stranded in shelters that are completely dark. Three weeks ago, a shell killed 21 people who were standing on line for milk. There are no ambulances, no medical services. I don’t understand how the world stays silent. People there are being subjected to another Holocaust.”

Eckstein, whose organization is working to bring 800 Ukrainian Jews living in Donetsk to Israel, as part of an operation expected to last nearly a month, claims that the troubles faced by local Jews stem not from anti-Semitism, but from geopolitical tensions.

Despite the cease-fire that was announced between Moscow and Kiev over a week ago, Gopin said that sounds of war continue to echo through the region, and a number of people have been killed since the truce was announced.

“It’s a bit quieter now,” he said. “The efforts are now geared toward bringing humanitarian aid to the area. There’s still much work to be done.”