The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence lit Hanukkah candles with the Jewish community of Kyiv.

In Kyiv, at the Jewish Community Center “Beit Menachem,” the third candle of Hanukkah was lit. The event took place against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine and resonant anti-Semitic incidents outside the country — in particular, the recent tragic events in Sydney, Australia. Hundreds of members of the Jewish community gathered in the hall, for whom this evening became not just a religious ceremony, but an act of public presence and inner resilience.

The ceremony was led by the city’s chief rabbi of Kyiv and Chabad shaliach, Rabbi Yonatan Markovich. His participation set the tone for the event: Hanukkah here sounded not as a “calendar” tradition, but as a response to reality — anxious, unstable, military.

Particular attention was drawn to the visit of the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, General Kyrylo Budanov. He specifically arrived at the event and, together with the participants, lit the Hanukkah candles. In conditions of constant security threats and war, this gesture was perceived as a clear signal of the state’s solidarity with the Jewish community — both on a personal and institutional level.

The ceremony was also attended by representatives of the Ukrainian political establishment and the international community. Among the guests were the former Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, current deputies, the Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky, the Deputy Mayor of Kyiv, the Chairman of JNF-Ukraine, as well as diplomats and consuls from the USA, European Union countries, Spain, Australia, and representatives of the UN. Such a composition of participants turned the event from a local community one into an international one in scale and meaning.

A separate focus of the evening was related to Australia. The ambassador of this country, Paul Lehmann, attended the ceremony in response to the recent anti-Semitic act in Sydney and the wave of international criticism that followed. His participation was perceived as a conscious and public step of support.

Speaking to those gathered, the ambassador noted that after the events in Sydney, it was fundamentally important for him to be with the Jewish community on this particular evening. He also conveyed a message from the Prime Minister of Australia, emphasizing: darkness is dispelled by light. According to him, lighting the Hanukkah candles in Kyiv is a clear and unequivocal signal: anti-Semitism and terror cannot stop free societies. Australia, as the diplomat emphasized, remains committed to protecting freedom of conscience and supporting Jewish communities around the world.

Rabbi Yonatan Markovich, in his address, emphasized the symbolism of what was happening. He reminded that it is precisely in moments of war, threats, and terror that Jewish tradition insists on light as an active action. Not as consolation, but as a response. According to him, lighting candles is a direct message to those who seek evil and destruction: light ultimately prevails, as it did then, so it happens now.

The Hanukkah ceremony in Kyiv became more than a religious ritual. It turned into a symbol of resilience, unity, and presence — against the backdrop of war, international tension, and the rise of anti-Semitic sentiments in the world. It was an evening where tradition, politics, and human solidarity converged at one point.

It is precisely such moments that record not only the chronicle of events but also the state of society. NANews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency