Israel and Ukraine were both fighting an evil that stood behind both the Russia-Ukraine War and the Israel-Hamas War, Ukrainian chief rabbi Moshe Reuven Azman told The Jerusalem Post at the Yael Foundation Conference on Jewish education in Paphos on Wednesday.
Ahead of the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Saturday, Azman said that the war had continued to be difficult after the initial miracle of pushing back the Kremlin at the beginning of the war — but there was nothing to be done, Ukraine had no choice but to continue fighting.
Azman highlighted how during Tucker Carlson’s interview with Putin, the Russian leader claimed that Poland had antagonized Nazi Germany, thereby excusing Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s aggression.
There are still Ukrainian Jews who remain
“There are still many Ukrainian Jews in the country,” said Azman, “patriots,” old people who had spent their entire lives in Ukraine and didn’t want to leave, or those who couldn’t because of the mandatory draft. “There are also those that have returned.”
Azman reminded the Post that the Jewish holiday of Purim was approaching in March and that to help bring about the miracle that saw the reversal of the genocide of Jews at the hands of Haman, Mordechai had gathered thousands of Jewish children for Torah lessons and prayer for mercy. The merit of this education secured the future of the Jewish people.