1,000 Mishloach Manos Delivered to Ukrainian Jewish Soldiers on Front Lines

By Hamodia Staff

The Federation of Jewish Communities in Ukraine (FJCU) has begun distributing over 1,000 mishloach manos to Jewish soldiers serving in the Ukrainian army and stationed in the Donetsk, Lugansk and Kharkiv district, along 750 miles of heavy fighting against Russian troops.

This is a complicated project due to the ban on civilian to access the front lines, and the difficulty in finding all Jewish soldiers in these regions, FJCU said Thursday in announcing the project.

The program was coordinated by Rabbi Yakov Siniakov, assisted by eight volunteers who are divided into pairs and move around the region.

The mishloach manos packages include a Megillas Esther with Ukrainian translation, hamantashen, chocolates, snacks, mini cookies and a special line of locally produced vodka.

There are also several megillah readings scheduled for soldiers.

Additionally, last week the FJCU finished distributing 40,000 mishloach manos parcels to the 180 Jewish communities across the country. In the main cities, the distribution of the parcels was carried out in cooperation with the local Chabad Shluchim who serve as the rabbis of the cities, and in smaller villages the mishloach manos were brought to the synagogues or community centers and distributed by volunteers to the Jews living there.

Chabad shluchim will also be reading the megillah in dozens of cities and towns across the country.

FJCU Chairman Rabbi Meir Stambler said, “In recent months, the bombings of Ukrainian cities have increased, but despite this, we are here for every Jew throughout Ukraine, in an effort to bring them the word of Purim and the joy of the Purim together with everyone wherever they are. We pray that even before Purim we will be able to celebrate the Purim miracle of our generation, with freedom.”