The Maccabee spirit lives on in Ukraine
The world has discovered a new hero. And it is a source of pride to Jews everywhere that he is Jewish. The leadership of Volodymyr Zelensky has been an inspiration — not just to his fellow Ukrainians but to everyone looking on as his countrymen resist the Russian invasion. President Zelensky has come to define the spirit that has taken hold in Ukraine as people stand up to Putin’s army. He is, in a sense, the Judah Maccabee of our times — and Ukraine’s large Jewish population is following his lead. We could fill this week’s paper with stories of heroism, from brave rabbis who are refusing to leave their synagogues and worshippers who will not be cowed — such as the 95 year-old regular at the Choral Synagogue in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, who is still attending morning prayers
— to orthodox Jews like Asher Joseph Cherkaskyi, who have re-enlisted in the army, along with many others who have taken up arms to fight the invasion.
The world has discovered a new hero. And it is a source of pride that he is Jewish
This Maccabee spirit is everywhere. Israel has mounted a huge operation to rescue those in the community who feel they must leave, whether to cross the border or to make Aliyah, and is helping Arabs alongside Jews. But it is not just in Ukraine. It is here, too, with a huge charity drive led by World Jewish Relief, an organisation that has long done superb work in Ukraine but never before in these circumstances. None of us knows what the future holds for Ukraine even next week, let alone in the months and years to come. But one thing is clear: whatever happens, the Maccabee spirit lives on.