As Ukrainian cities were darkened by a ravaged electrical grid or for concealment from Russian bombardment, Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU) chairman Rabbi Mayer Stambler said that the country's Jews were lighting Hanukkah candles to give hope to the country.
Prime Minister Yulia Anatoliivna Svyrydenko, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, and ambassadors from several countries participated in a candle lighting ceremony conducted by Stambler, in the heart of Ukraine's independence square.
President Volodymyr Zelensky was scheduled to attend the Kyiv ceremony but traveled abroad at the last minute for discussions with US representatives on peace negotiations, a subject on which few Jewish officials have expressed optimism.
"During these days, Hanukkah candles are being lit to mark the beginning of the holiday, which carries especially profound meaning in times of war." Zelensky wrote on X. "Light that does not fade even in darkness. Faith that helps endure. The unity of people who support one another when it is hardest."
Hanukkah: A war to preserve the Jewish people
Zelensky had been set to be given a gift of a Hasmonean coin for the holiday, though his last minute departure would delay the presentation of the artifact to the last night of the holiday. Representatives of the FJCU said that the small coin was heavy with a history of defiance against oppressive rule that echoed across Ukraine's wide fields.
Svyrydenko also compared the fight of Ukraine's forces against Russia to that of the Maccabees against Hellenists, who sought to destroy the Jewish religion and culture.
"Hanukkah is a celebration of the victory of light over darkness. Its meaning is especially powerful at a time when we are fighting for freedom, truth, and light," the prime minister said on X. "Liberating our country from the enemy and rebuilding it is both the heroism of our defenders and the daily work of millions."
Jewish literature handed out in Ukraine
The FJCU gave a pocket book of psalms in Ukrainian to the prime minister, the same new item of Jewish literature that had been handed to Ukrainian soldiers throughout the country by Chabad emissaries, as well as Ukrainian military chaplain Rabbi Yakov Sinyakov. Sinyakov brought soldiers sweets to dozens of soldiers serving throughout the Dnipro region on Sunday and Monday, explaining that the Psalms held great meaning for Jews and Christians of many denominations. Many of the soldiers requested the books of psalms after the chaplain lightened the mood with jokes and candy with the soldiers. A graduate of psychological studies, soldiers expressed their concerns and thoughts with the chaplain, who reminded them of the greater struggle around them. For those with Jewish ancestry Sinyakov lit Hanukkah candles, but non Jewish soldiers also gathered with interest to hear about the meaning of the holiday, and the battle of light versus dark.
Hanukkah had become "very popular" during the war, Stambler said, taking on new meaning not just for the country's Jews, but for all Ukrainians. The Maidan square lighting had become so important because it was one of the ways that the Jewish community helped the country, said Stambled, providing the light of hope. Every year a debate raged about the danger of lighting the candles in public or using resources to maintain the Chanukiahs, but the rabbi said that each time authorities recognized the necessity. Ukrainian forces reportedly provided security for public lightings at 34 cities across the country.
One of the prominent lightings was at the Dnipro Menorah Center. While outside the city was dark and overcast, inside the seven tower Jewish center the city's Jews enjoyed a carnival with popcorn, live music, and sugary donuts. The celebrations continued on Monday, with Stambler remarking how much pride the community had come to take in its Jewish roots. Jewish members of the Ukrainian military walked the halls, enjoying the moment as much as anyone, though war loomed only a few hundred kilometers east.
On Sunday, Svyrydenko noted that the celebrations were overshadowed by the news of the terrorist attack in Sydney that claimed the lives of 15 Hanukkah celebrants.
"We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of all those affected," said Svyrydenko. "The pain of this loss is shared by free people everywhere who understand how suddenly violence can shatter the ordinary rhythm of life."
Stambler knew the family of the Chabad emissary murdered in the attack, having studied with his older brother in his youth. Other Ukrainian Jewish community members made mention in passing of the terrorist attack, holding moments of solemn remembrance during an otherwise normal holiday in Dnipro.