Empty shelves, shattered warehouses: Ukraine's Jews prepare for fifth Rosh Hashanah at war

As Ukraine enters its fifth Rosh Hashanah at war, Chabad and the Jewish Relief Network Ukraine (JRNU) are distributing tens of thousands of kosher holiday packages to Jewish communities amid intensifying shelling, destroyed warehouses, and empty store shelves. A honey factory near Kyiv continues production despite nearby damage, while community rabbis report record synagogue attendance expected for the High Holidays as people seek togetherness and tradition after years of conflict.

Ukraine's Jewish communities are preparing for their fifth Rosh Hashanah since the full-scale war began, with Chabad and the Jewish Relief Network Ukraine (JRNU) distributing tens of thousands of kosher holiday packages amid intensifying shelling. A honey factory in the battered Kyiv region continues operating inside a heavily shelled industrial zone, producing kosher honey certified by Rabbi Yehoshua Vishetzki of the Ukrkosher system. The main distribution operation has commenced: aid trucks are delivering poultry, fresh meat, honey, dairy, canned goods, and honey cakes airlifted from Israel to Jewish communities across the country. Rabbi Simcha Levenharts, a Chabad emissary coordinating the effort, said warehouses have been destroyed and store shelves are empty, with people unable to shop due to prolonged closures during alarms. The security threat has reached community leaders directly: Rabbi Shlomo Salamon of Kremenchuk said two drones fell near his home this week. Despite the dangers, Jewish leaders report record synagogue attendance expected for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, as people seek togetherness and tradition after years of war. JRNU has built local production and distribution infrastructure to sustain religious life without relying on wartime imports.