“It is a great honor for me to be with you at this time” – Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Moshe Reuven Asman published an address to the residents of Kyiv

«Light will definitely overcome darkness» — the rabbi addressed the people of Kyiv amidst new Russian attacks, remembered the deceased 14-year-old Jewish teenager, and prayed for those affected at the Academy of Sciences and the Dobrobut medical clinic.

Author: Lev Varshavsky

On September 28, 2026, the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Moshe Reuven Asman published an address to the residents of Kyiv, once again sharing his song “Kyiv — Hero.” The occasion was the ongoing Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital, resulting in the loss of lives, burning of residential buildings, scientific institutions, and medical centers.

“It is a great honor for me to be with you in this difficult time.”

“Friends! In recent weeks, Kyiv and its residents have been under continuous Russian attacks day and night,” the rabbi wrote on his official Facebook page.

He emphasized that he considers it a great honor to remain with the people of Kyiv in this difficult time.

“I believe: together we will stand. Light will definitely overcome darkness!”

A song that has become relevant again

The composition “Kyiv — Hero” was first published on February 23, 2023, on the eve of the first anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion.

At that time, Asman called it his gift as a token of gratitude to everyone thanks to whom Kyiv and Ukraine stood firm.

The song features images of ancient Kyiv, the city on the slopes of the Dnipro, its historical and spiritual role. The capital itself appears as a defender of Ukraine.

Three and a half years later, the rabbi returns to this composition again, as the Ukrainian capital once more endures heavy Russian attacks.

Watch the original clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VwvPC60vys

Prayers amidst fires and destruction

On the same day, Asman responded to the Russian strike on the building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in central Kyiv. People were trapped by smoke and fire, and reports of casualties emerged.

Separately, the rabbi wrote about the strike on the Dobrobut medical clinic, where a major fire broke out and a rescue operation was underway.

“I pray that all people are saved!” he wrote.

“People escaped through the windows of the burning Academy of Sciences”.

A few days before this, Asman personally visited a residential building in Kyiv where a Russian drone killed a 14-year-old Jewish teenager. According to the rabbi, the boy died in front of his parents, who were also injured and hospitalized. At the site of the strike, Asman prayed for the recovery of the injured.

Today, the song “Kyiv — Hero” sounds not just as a memory of how the Ukrainian capital stood firm in 2022. It is a new address from the rabbi to the people with whom he continues to remain during the war.