Chabad of Hewlett praying for the Ukrainian people

The Chabad of Hewlett along with many other Five Towns congregations, are praying for the safety of those in Ukraine after Russia invaded on the country on Feb. 17.

The Chabad’s own Rabbi and Hewlett Bar Mitzvah club teacher, Menachen Lessoff, is stuck in Ukraine, as of press time, after arriving there more than two weeks ago to marry Daniela Brez. The wedding took place on Feb. 16 in Dnipro, Ukraine.

On Sunday, during the weekly Tefillin Club gathering, Chabad of Hewlett members gathered to pray for the Ukrainian people, especially for those in the Jewish community. Lessoff gave members a “live update,” said Chabad of Hewlett Rabbi Nochem Tenenboim, over a WhatsApp voice call, of his experiences in Ukraine, involving shelters and emergency sirens in Eastern Ukraine. Since the war broke out, Lessoff said he has been helping the Ukrainian-Jewish community that is in need.

There are roughly 300,000 Jewish people in Ukraine, according to the American Jewish Committee, a global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. The nation is led by President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish. Tenenboim has kept in contact daily with several Chabad rabbis in Ukraine since the invasion.

On top of money and supplies, the Chabad of Hewlett is sending shipments of Mezuzahs – a piece of parchment called a klaf contained in a decorative case and inscribed with specific Hebrew verses from the Torah meant to protect the home – in response to requests by Chabads in Western Ukraine.

Since the invasion, the United States has imposed several sanctions on Russia. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman wants to see more calling for a boycott of Russian products.

“Get rid of your Russian vodka,” Blakeman said during a Feb. 26 rally in Glen Cove, attended by Long Island Ukrainian Americans. “Do not do anything that would support the Russian economy.”

“We want the people of Ukraine to know, that here in Nassau County, we are behind you,” Blakeman added. “And it is also a message to our president that weakness invites danger and now is the time for America to be strong and to enact further sanctions.”

“In our community we have a lot of people who still have family in Ukraine,” Tenenboim said, “and they’re very worried and concerned.”

The Chabad of Hewlett is encouraging everyone to pray for and become involved in assisting the Ukrainians. To send donations, go to https://www.jewishhewlett.com.

Letisha Dass contributed to this story.