As this Monday, October 16, Ukraine enters its 600th day of war, the country’s Jewish community lives between two conflicts, since Israel and Hamas also entered into war.
HAS Uman, in central Ukraine, is home to a community of 2,000 Orthodox Jews: the Hasidics. Every year, up to 70,000 pilgrims from all over the world come to this city for the Jewish New Year to visit the tomb of Rabbi Nachman, one of the main figures of Hasidism. Since the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7 and the aftershocks, this population has found itself caught between two conflicts.
>> War between Hamas and Israel: follow our live
Haïm is a small trader from Ouman. For 600 days now, he has suffered the war of his adopted country. “I have friends who are in the Ukrainian army. We send them provisions, warm clothes. We do our best“, he says. But for more than a week, Raïm has also been experiencing a second war, in his country of birth, Israel, where part of his family lives. “I get up at 4 a.m. to watch the news about Israel. I’m traumatized by it. My wife and my family toolaments the trader. In Israel, it’s a big shock. Our family there tells us: don’t move, stay in Ukraine because now it’s quieter than here. Some of our loved ones are even thinking of joining us. We stay here and ask God: help Israel, help Ukraine.”
HAS Uman, the first hours following the Hamas attack on October 7 were traumatic for the Jewish community. Aaron Shetrit is Franco-Israeli and lives several months of the year in Ukraine. “We were in the middle of a party. It’s a time when we don’t have access to phones or media. It was the non-Jews who worked around us who told us this.“, he explains. The attack took place at the time of Simchat Torah, “the greatest moment of joy in the year“. Aaron says he then found himself torn between two feelings: “On the one hand, there is this very hard news, but on the other hand, God asks us to be joyful during this holiday.”
An upsurge in anti-Semitic acts
Since then, some Hasidics from Ukraine have returned to fight in Israel, others remain here to pray for peace, like Yoann. This Franco-Israeli is very attached to this pilgrimage to Ouman: “Part of the prayer is dedicated to world peace. We prayed a lot for Ukraine at the time of the war and we continue to pray.“From now on, Yoann also prays for peace in Israel”since the country is surrounded by people who want our end“.
Since the start of the Russian invasion, several strikes have hit the city of Uman. In recent days, the Jewish community must also face another threat: the resurgence of anti-Semitic acts. Iryna Rybnytska is director of the Uman Cultural Center. “In relation to the international situation, and the possible threat surrounding Jewish places of worship, in Uman, we have strengthened surveillance via checks by the police and the security services of Ukraine. she says, pointing to the officers in uniform.
She, who deals with relations between the Jewish community and the town hall, however ensures : “You won’t see any tension here, although everyone here is concerned about what is happening in the world.“