- July 7, 2025
- 3:03 pm
- Ukraine
This story was reported on July 6, 2025 by כיכר השבת (“Kikar HaShabbat,” literally “Sabbath Square”) — one of the largest Hebrew-language news portals in Israel, aimed at the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community.
Nighttime Assault and Widespread Destruction
On the night of July 4, 2025, more than 500 rockets and drones were launched at Kyiv. The explosions ignited massive fires and caused severe damage to residential neighborhoods, and thick smoke hung over Podil for hours after the barrage ended. Sirens wailed continuously, urging residents to rush into the most prepared shelters.
Bunker Under the Chabad Synagogue
Under the Chabad community center in Podil, Kyiv, one of the few equipped bunkers in the area was established.
Rabbi Simcha Levengertz, the Chabad emissary in Kyiv, recalls:
“The explosions never stopped; everything was shaking.”
“Sirens sounded again and again, and the shelter by the synagogue — always stocked with lighting, water, and toilets — filled with non-Jewish neighbors from the district. The smoke was so dense it did not clear for many hours after the attack ended.”
How the Shelter Is Arranged
In the community center basement, you’ll find:
- A supply of drinking water and long-lasting food;
- A medical corner with antiseptics and bandages;
- Independent lighting and ventilation system;
- Warm mats and sleeping areas.
Solidarity in Extreme Conditions
Although the bunker was officially intended for Jewish community members, that night it took in hundreds of Kyiv residents of various faiths.
“There are not many real shelters here,” says one community member, “so thousands of people have to spend whole nights in the subway, deep underground, just to survive.”
“We all became one family when rockets were falling above us,” says a woman who sheltered with her children. This shared ordeal became a symbol of solidarity between the Ukrainian and Jewish peoples.
Prayers and Everyday Life Amid Ruins
The next day, Saturday July 5, those who survived the attack gathered in the same bunker to study the Torah together in honor of the Liberation of the Lubavitcher Rebbe (12 Tammuz). JRNU reported that no direct casualties were registered among worshippers, but “community homes across Ukraine continue to be struck.”
“We all hope and pray that Ukraine will be granted liberation — true deliverance from suffering and endless hardships,” the community added.
Stories of Rescue in Poltava and Kremenchuk
Rabbi Yosef Yitzhak Segal recounted how a Poltava congregant, mistakenly detained by the Ukrainian military, stepped outside “just to smoke a cigarette” at the moment five drones struck the building — and emerged unscathed. In Kremenchuk, near Rabbi Shlomo Salomon’s synagogue, drones hit a nearby military target, yet the community continued its Torah lessons and prayers.
On the НАновости — Israel News platform, we publish detailed reviews of humanitarian missions, aid collection points, and coordinator contacts. Israeli readers can learn how to send medical supplies, food, or join volunteer trips to Ukraine.
About “כיכר השבת”
The portal kikar.co.il has existed since May 2009 and daily provides Israel’s Haredi community with news, Torah lessons, halachic materials, kosher recipes, and in-depth analyses.
Monthly audience exceeds 6,000,000 sessions: 56% direct visits, 40% organic search, and 4% social and aggregator referrals.
Content delivery network and multi-layer caching (since 2013), plus a mobile app for Android and iOS (updated September 2023), ensure fast loading even on weak connections. Editors adhere strictly to religious norms: no images of women in ads, and all materials undergo rabbinic review.
This blend of advanced technology and respect for tradition makes “כיכר השבת” a trusted information hub for religious Jews in Israel and beyond.
Why It Matters for Israel and Ukraine
This story reminds us of the unity of peoples and the power of solidarity. By supporting Ukrainians in their darkest hour, Israel’s Jewish community builds trust and preserves shared memories of hardship, forging strong bridges of friendship.
