New Yeshiva to Open Near Kyiv Amid the War: “We Are Building Even Under Fire”
Against the backdrop of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, a new yeshiva is set to open this coming month of Elul in the Jewish village of Hnatipka, near Kyiv. In an interview on Mendy Grozman's program on Kan Heritage, Rabbi Shmuel Asman, Chabad emissary in Ukraine and founder of the yeshiva, spoke about the decision to establish the institution דווקא during active fighting, and about the challenges involved. According to him, the yeshiva is intended primarily for students from Ukraine and from Eastern European countries, but will be open to anyone who wishes to join. “Any boy who wants to study will be accepted,” he said. “Both parents and students need to feel safe.”
Asman addressed the natural concerns about establishing an educational institution in a war zone, and explained that security solutions had been built into the yeshiva itself: “Protected spaces were built inside the yeshiva so that everyone will feel safe.” According to him, despite the difficult reality, there is a belief that the situation will change soon: “We very much believe that, with God’s help, the war will end in the near future.”
The yeshiva is being established in the village of Hnatipka, which, according to Asman, was founded already in 2014 in response to the first waves of refugees in eastern Ukraine. During the current war, the place also served as an aid center for thousands of Jews who passed through it. “We did not know that we ourselves would become refugees,” he said, “but the place became a support point with food, water and security.”
“The Yeshivat Tomchei Tmimim, Beit Binyamin”
The new yeshiva will be called “Beit Binyamin,” and will operate as part of the Tomchei Tmimim yeshiva network. According to Asman, it will include a full educational staff whose goal is not only Torah study but also education in character development and inner joy. “We want to raise students not only in learning, but also as human beings,” he said.
Between education and faith
Asman stressed that he is not expected to head the yeshiva in practice, but only to serve as its founder, while a professional staff will run it. According to him, the establishment itself during wartime is also a spiritual message: “The very act of building gives hope and spiritual protection.” In closing, he expressed hope for an end to the fighting in Ukraine and for calm throughout the region: “May there be peace, there and here too.”
