Jewish Community in Kyiv Endures Intense Overnight Missile Attacks Amid 17th of Tammuz Fast
On the night between Thursday and Friday, the Jewish community in Kyiv faced one of the most intense missile and suicide drone attacks in recent months, lasting 12 hours from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. The combined Russian military assault shook the city with dozens of massive explosions, forcing residents to seek shelter underground. Authorities took emergency measures by closing all fuel stations to prevent fires from direct hits. Many city residents fled to deep subway stations, while dozens of families from the 'Simcha' Jewish community spent the entire night crowded in the community building's underground shelter.
Just a day earlier, these families had returned to Kyiv after nine peaceful days in the Carpathian Mountains, where they participated in a special Chabad network (JRNU) camp designed to help children and parents momentarily escape the ongoing trauma of the war. Rabbi Simcha Lebanartz, a Chabad emissary in Kyiv under the leadership of community head Rabbi Mordechai Lebanartz, described the night as terrifying, with continuous explosions making sleep impossible.
Despite exhaustion and fear, the Jewish community demonstrated remarkable resilience the following morning. Hundreds of worshippers filled Kyiv's synagogues early to observe the fast of the 17th of Tammuz with morning prayers and Torah readings, determined not to let the bombardment disrupt their religious routine. Meanwhile, under the continuing threat of missile strikes, the JRNU humanitarian aid network operated at full capacity, distributing hot meals at community centers and delivering food directly to the homes of elderly, sick, and homebound community members who could not venture into the dangerous streets.
