Author: Карабас Барабас

Western Wall: visible shrine and hidden city beneath it

The Western Wall in Jerusalem is one of those places where history is not behind glass and does not wait for a tour guide’s explanation. It stands openly before a person: ancient stones, prayer plaza, notes in the cracks, voices in different languages, tourists, soldiers, families, pilgrims, and a special silence that sometimes proves stronger than any noise.

But what is visible today in the plaza is only a small part of a vast historical space.

The open section of the Western Wall at the modern prayer plaza is about 70 meters long. Meanwhile, the entire western retaining wall of the Temple Mount stretches for almost half a kilometer. Most of it is hidden underground, beneath streets, houses, and layers of Old City construction that have formed over centuries—from antiquity to the Middle Ages and later periods.

It is there, in the tunnels of the Western Wall, that Jerusalem becomes not a postcard but a deep stone biography.

In European usage, this place is often called the ‘Wailing Wall.’ The name is recognizable, familiar, almost literary, but it reflects more the European view of the 19th–20th centuries on Jewish prayer at the ancient wall. In the Israeli and Jewish context, it is more accurate to speak of the Western Wall, Kotel—the surviving part of the vast retaining system of the Temple Mount, associated with the memory of the Second Temple, which existed until its destruction by the Romans in 70 CE.

‘Wailing Wall’ is a name of sorrow given from outside.

The Western Wall is no longer just sorrow. It is memory, connection, hope, prayer, and physical proof that Jewish history in Jerusalem does not begin yesterday, does not start with modern political disputes, and does not need external permission to be part of this city.

Why ancient Jerusalem ended up beneath the modern city

The tunnels of the Western Wall were not built as an underground museum. They appeared because Jerusalem changed, rose, was destroyed, rebuilt, and built up again over centuries.

Even during the Second Temple period, especially in the 1st century BCE and the 1st century CE, a deep Tyropoeon Valley, known as the Valley of the Cheesemakers, ran near the Temple Mount. It separated the Temple Mount from the western part of the ancient city, creating a sharp elevation difference and making access to the sacred platform difficult.

Over time, this terrain began to change.

In different eras, the valley was covered with arches, bridges, vaults, and massive structures. New levels appeared above the old streets. Stone passages turned into foundations, open areas went into darkness, and ancient walls gradually ended up under layers of later urban life.

After the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in the 7th century, the city acquired new religious and architectural centers. In the 12th century, after the return of Muslim control over Jerusalem under Saladin, and then in the 13th–16th centuries under the Mamluks, construction around the Temple Mount continued to densify. The city did not just live next to ancient stones—it gradually covered them with new quarters.

Thus, the lower rows of the Western Wall, streets from the Second Temple period, Roman traces of the 2nd century, Crusader elements of the 12th century, and Mamluk vaults of the 13th–15th centuries ended up in one space. Not because someone wanted to create an ‘underground city,’ but because Jerusalem built itself over itself for millennia.

And this is the main effect of the tunnels: a person walks not just along an archaeological route, but through a cross-section of time.

From Herod to British explorers: how the hidden Wall was discovered

The main architectural power of the Western Wall is associated with the era of King Herod the Great, who ruled Judea from 37–4 BCE. It was under him, at the end of the 1st century BCE, that the Temple Mount was expanded to grandiose proportions, and the retaining walls became part of one of the most impressive engineering projects of antiquity.

Herodian masonry is hard to confuse with anything else.

Each large stone block has characteristic processing: a neat frame is carved around the edges, and the central part is left smooth and slightly protruding. These stones are laid with incredible precision, without cement mortar, as if ancient craftsmen worked not with multi-ton limestone but with perfectly calculated details of a giant structure.

Next to such blocks, history ceases to be abstract.

It becomes heavy, cold, physical. It can be seen in the joints between the stones, in the tool marks, in the scale of the wall that has withstood earthquakes, wars, changes of empires, and almost two thousand years of human memory.

Western Stone: a megalith that cannot be forgotten

One of the strongest points of the underground route is the famous Western Stone.

Its weight is usually estimated at about 570 tons. It is not just a large building block but one of the most impressive megaliths of the ancient world, embedded in the thickness of the Western Wall during the massive reconstruction of the Temple Mount under Herod the Great, at the turn of the 1st century BCE and the 1st century CE.

Its length exceeds 13 meters, and next to it, a person instantly loses the usual sense of scale.

The question arises by itself: how was this done?

How did ancient builders manage to quarry such a stone, deliver it to the Temple Mount, lift it, level it, and install it with such precision that it still remains part of the wall? Without modern cranes. Without trucks. Without laser instruments. Without the technology that today we consider essential even for much simpler construction tasks.

The Western Stone does not need beautiful exaggerations. It is enough to see it.

Wilson, Warren, and the first descents into the ancient levels of the city

The first serious studies in the area of the Western Wall in modern times are associated with British engineers and archaeologists of the 19th century.

In 1864, Charles Wilson began work that allowed for a better understanding of the hidden structure of the area near the Temple Mount. His name is associated with the famous Wilson’s Arch—a powerful ancient arched structure near the Western Wall, which became one of the key landmarks in the study of underground Jerusalem.

Later, in 1867–1870, Charles Warren continued the research and descended into shafts that revealed hidden levels of the ancient city. His work became one of the important stages in the study of the underground topography of Jerusalem in the 19th century when the archaeology of the Holy Land was just becoming a systematic scientific discipline.

These were not comfortable museum routes with lighting and neat railings.

Researchers worked in difficult conditions, through shafts, narrow passages, stone debris, and spaces where every meter required caution. But it was these first studies that showed: beneath modern Jerusalem lies a vast historical layer that cannot be understood from the surface.

After the Six-Day War of 1967, a new phase began. Israel gained access to the area of the Western Wall, and large-scale work began to uncover the continuation of the wall, clear underground spaces, and turn individual archaeological sites into a connected route.

For Israel, it was not just archaeology.

It was a return to the hidden part of its own history—to those stones, streets, and passages that had been under later construction for centuries and remained inaccessible for full study.

Roman Odeon, ancient mikvahs, and prayer at Warren’s Gate

The tunnels of the Western Wall show not only the era of Herod and the Second Temple. Here are traces of those who came after the destruction of the Temple, tried to rebuild the city for themselves, and leave their own mark.

After the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 CE, Jerusalem experienced a historical catastrophe. Later, in the first half of the 2nd century, under Emperor Hadrian, the city was turned into the Roman colony of Aelia Capitolina. It was an attempt not just to govern the city but to change its image, memory, and spiritual geography.

In the underground space near the Western Wall, archaeologists discovered a small Roman theatrical structure, often called an odeon. It is associated with the Roman period when, after the destruction of the Temple and the suppression of Jewish revolts, the city was attempted to be integrated into the imperial architectural logic.

This structure is not like the huge amphitheaters familiar from Rome or Caesarea. It is more chamber, but its significance is no less.

The odeon stands as a stone reminder of a sharp turn in history: where Jewish memory is connected with the Temple, Roman power tried to create a city of a different meaning. In one underground space, two worldviews collide—Jerusalem of the Temple and Jerusalem of the imperial colony of the 2nd century.

Mikvahs at the Temple Mount: traces of people, not just kings

One of the most touching details of the underground excavations is the ancient mikvahs, pools for ritual purification, associated with the life of Jerusalem during the Second Temple period.

Such finds return the city to a human scale. Because the history of Jerusalem is not only Herod the Great in the 1st century BCE, Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century, Crusaders of the 12th century, Mamluks of the 13th–16th centuries, British researchers of the 19th century, and modern Israeli archaeologists after 1967.

It is also the pilgrims who came to the Temple Mount two thousand years ago, descended the stone steps to the water, and prepared to enter the sacred space.

The worn steps of the mikvahs speak quietly but very strongly.

Ordinary people walked on them. We do not know their names. They did not leave royal inscriptions, did not build empires, and did not command armies. But it was they who filled ancient Jerusalem with life, prayer, and expectation.

NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency views such places not as ordinary tourist attractions but as part of a living Israeli context: here archaeology directly connects with the question of identity, memory, and the right of a people to remember their city not through others’ retellings but through their own stones.

Warren’s Gate: where the route becomes a prayer

There is a point in the tunnels of the Western Wall where even the most detailed story begins to sound superfluous. This is the section at the ancient Warren’s Gate—a place associated with the research of Charles Warren in the 19th century and considered especially close to the presumed location of the Holy of Holies on the Temple Mount.

Here the atmosphere changes.

Until then, a person looks at stones, listens about dates, rulers, excavations, arches, and megaliths. But at Warren’s Gate, history suddenly becomes very personal. People stand by the wall, touch the ancient stone, pray, sometimes just remain silent.

It is important to speak about this carefully. The Holy of Holies was the spiritual center of the Temple, and the Ark of the Covenant is primarily associated with the tradition of the First Temple, which existed until its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. But it is the proximity of this place to the sacred center of the Temple Mount that makes it one of the most emotional points of the route.

In Jerusalem, there are places where the past is explained.

And there are places where it is felt.

Two underground routes: Great Stone and Great Bridge

Today, visiting the tunnels of the Western Wall is only possible in organized groups with a guide. It is not possible to go there independently: the route passes through narrow archaeological spaces where safety, control of the flow of people, and respect for the place itself are important.

The official Western Wall Heritage Foundation indicates two main routes—the Great Stone Route and the Great Bridge Route.

The Great Stone Route is associated with the classic underground passage along the hidden part of the Western Wall. It is here that visitors see the giant stones of Herodian masonry from the end of the 1st century BCE, including the famous Western Stone, and approach sections associated with a deep prayer tradition.

The Great Bridge Route reveals another side of underground Jerusalem—the space of ancient bridges, vaults, passages, and archaeological levels that show how the city connected with the Temple Mount and how its structure changed from antiquity through the Middle Ages to later eras.

This is not an hour’s entertainment or an ordinary tour for a checkmark.

Modern lighting, models, museum technologies, and the work of guides help to see what would remain just a stone without explanation. But the strength of the route is not only in technology. The strength is that a person leaves there with a different feeling of Jerusalem.

Outside, the city seems noisy, contentious, political, modern.

Underground, it becomes ancient, deep, and almost stubborn. It shows that it cannot be reduced to a news headline, a diplomatic dispute, or a tourist postcard. Jerusalem stands on layers of memory, and the Western Wall is one of the main entrances to this memory.

Every year, millions of people come to the plaza at the Western Wall. During major Jewish holidays—especially in the days of the month of Tishrei in the fall and on Passover in the spring—the flow becomes enormous. But far fewer visitors enter the tunnels because the underground route is physically limited: narrow passages, group schedules, advance booking, strict order.

And perhaps this is what makes the visit even stronger.

In the plaza, the Western Wall speaks to the masses. Underground, it speaks almost personally.

Where sunny Jerusalem remains above, a person walks along hidden stones and understands: the city did not disappear, even when it was attempted to be renamed, rebuilt, forgotten, or appropriated. It continued to preserve its layers. Continued to wait for those who could read them again.

The tunnels of the Western Wall are a place where archaeology ceases to be a dry science. It becomes the breath of the city, proof of memory, and a meeting with Jerusalem that is much deeper than it seems from the plaza.

Water as a security issue, not just a utility topic

Israel has taken a new step towards water independence: the government approved (08.06.2026) the long-term goals of the Water Resources Management for the development of seawater desalination. The main target is by 2050, the country should reach approximately 2 billion cubic meters of desalinated water per year.

For the Israeli audience, this is not an abstract figure from a report. Water has long been part of national resilience here: the desert is nearby, the climate is becoming harsher, the population is growing, cities are expanding, and natural sources can no longer be considered a reliable insurance for the future.

Today, Israel desalinates about 800 million cubic meters of water per year. This covers approximately 70–80% of drinking water needs. Another 700 million cubic meters of treated wastewater are used in agriculture — and this is one of the strong elements of the Israeli water model.

Why the Kinneret should no longer be the last hope

The country’s total freshwater needs are currently estimated at about 2.3 billion cubic meters per year. At the current level of consumption, the goal of 2 billion cubic meters of desalination could almost completely change the logic of the water balance: Israel would be able to rely much less on the Kinneret, groundwater, and other natural sources.

This is especially important against the backdrop of the climate crisis.

The reduction of natural water supply, urbanization, dry periods, and increased demand force planning not just one season ahead, but decades. That is why the new program looks not like a regular infrastructure expansion, but as a strategic protection of the country.

New goals: 2030, 2050, and 2075

Until recently, the key benchmark looked like this: to increase desalination capacity to 1.1 billion cubic meters per year by 2030. According to the government, this target should be achieved.

Now the horizon has widened.

By 2050, Israel plans to have a desalination capacity of about 2 billion cubic meters per year. Additionally, the state wants to prepare plans that will allow quickly expanding the system to 2.3 billion cubic meters if necessary. And the long-term goal for 2075 is approximately 2.75 billion cubic meters of desalinated seawater annually.

This is no longer just “building another facility.” It is a transition to a system where water is integrated into national planning as seriously as energy, defense, transport, and housing.

In parallel, the development of new desalination plants continues. In Western Galilee, the launch of another major facility is planned, which should add about 100 million cubic meters of water per year. For the northern regions of the country, this is of particular importance: it is not only about drinking water but also about reducing pressure on natural sources.

In the middle of this story, it is important to see the media context: NAnovosti —Israel News | Nikk.Agency considers such decisions not as dry infrastructure news, but as part of a large Israeli agenda — security, climate, population growth, prices, agriculture, and the state’s ability to prepare for crises in advance.

Reverse water conduit and the new role of the Kinneret

Another important element is the “reverse water conduit,” created to supply desalinated water towards the Kinneret. Previously, the logic was different: the Kinneret provided water to the country. Now the system is gradually being turned so that desalination helps support the Kinneret itself.

This is a symbolic and practical turn.

Israel is effectively building a model in which natural water bodies cease to be the last source of salvation and become a resource that needs to be preserved. Desalination in such a system is not a luxury or technological pride for a beautiful presentation, but a way to give nature a break.

Private companies and “planning reserve”

A separate point of the decision is the creation of so-called planning redundancy. In simple terms, the state wants to have not only operating stations but also pre-agreed projects that can be quickly launched when demand increases.

This is critically important because building a desalination plant in Israel takes about 7–8 years from the decision. If you wait for a crisis, it will be too late. Therefore, by 2050, additional plans for about 300 million cubic meters per year beyond the main available capacity should be ready.

There is also another change: the market for planning large desalination facilities is being opened to private players.

But it’s not about small initiatives. Private companies will be able to promote only large projects with a capacity of at least 100 million cubic meters per year. This will require a special approval mechanism, a professional recommendation from the Water Resources Management, the participation of the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, and a check of planning feasibility by relevant bodies.

What this means for Israel

For the average Israeli resident, such decisions may seem far from everyday life. But in fact, they are directly related to future tariffs, the sustainability of water supply, agriculture, the construction of new areas, and the quality of life in a country where water has always been a limited resource.

If the program is implemented, Israel will strengthen its position as one of the world leaders in water resource management.

But the main meaning is not even in status. The main meaning is that the country is trying not to catch up with the crisis, but to get ahead of it. In a region where climate, demographics, and security constantly change the rules of the game, water becomes not just a natural resource, but part of national independence.

A lecture in Lviv about the Jewish world in the life and work of Ivan Franko became an occasion to take a broader look at one of the complex topics of Ukrainian-Jewish history. Franko lived in Galicia, where Ukrainians, Jews, and Poles not only coexisted but also influenced each other daily — through cities, markets, literature, politics, religion, poverty, conflicts, and memory.

A lecture in Lviv as an occasion to talk about more

On June 13, 2026, in Lviv – a cultural and educational meeting-lecture “The Jewish World in the Work and Life of Ivan Franko“.

It is organized by the Jewish Religious Community of Progressive Judaism “Teiva“. The venue is the Honorary Consulate of the State of Israel in the Western region of Ukraine, Lviv, Hazova Street, 36/3. The speaker is Bohdan Tykholoz — a well-known Franko scholar, literary critic, and director of the Franko House, the Lviv National Literary-Memorial Museum of Ivan Franko.

But the meeting itself is important here not only as a cultural poster.

It provides a good reason to return to a topic that is often either smoothed over or simplified: Ivan Franko and the Jewish World of Galicia.

For the Ukrainian reader, Ivan Franko is one of the main classics of national culture. For many Israelis, his name may be almost unfamiliar. Meanwhile, through Franko, one can see not only Ukrainian literature but also a whole layer of shared Ukrainian-Jewish history.

He was called “Kamenyar” (Ukr.) (Stonecutter — a worker who cuts stones) — in the image of a person who breaks a rock and opens the road ahead. In Ukrainian culture, this image became a symbol of labor, struggle, perseverance, and the movement towards freedom.

This is the history of Lviv, Drohobych, Boryslav, Nahuievychi, Galician towns and villages.

This is the history of a region where Ukrainians, Jews, and Poles lived side by side for centuries. Not in a simple postcard about “friendship of peoples,” but in real life — with mutual influence, trade, poverty, competition, religious distance, political disputes, stereotypes, and cultural exchange.

Such a conversation is important for the section “History and Facts“. Not a festive legend. Not an accusatory slogan. But an attempt to understand how everything was actually arranged.

Fact one: Franko did not grow up in a mono-national world

Ivan Franko was born in 1856 in the village of Nahuievychi, near Drohobych. This was Galicia — then part of the Austrian, and later Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Today it is Western Ukraine.

But to understand Franko, it is important to remember: Galicia of his time was not homogeneous. In towns and villages, Ukrainians, Poles, Jews, Germans, Austrian officials, craftsmen, peasants, traders, priests, rabbis, teachers, lawyers, journalists, and political activists lived side by side.

Drohobych, where Franko studied, was not just a Ukrainian city.

It was a city with a strong Jewish presence, with trade, crafts, religious life, urban poverty, and social contrasts. Lviv, where Franko worked, wrote, argued, and died, was an even more complex space — Ukrainian, Polish, Jewish, Austrian, multilingual, and politically tense.

Therefore, when we talk about the “Jewish world” in Franko’s life, it is not a separate side topic.

Jewish life was part of the environment in which he was formed.

He saw it in cities, markets, schools, everyday life, politics, in conversations about money, poverty, labor, justice, and the future of the peoples of Galicia.

And this immediately changes the approach to the topic.

Franko did not “add Jews” to his texts for color. He wrote about a world where Jews were a real and noticeable part of society.

Why this is important for Israel

For the Israeli audience, such a topic may sound especially close.

Many families in Israel have roots in Eastern European cities. For some, Lviv, Drohobych, Boryslav, Sambir, Stryi, Kolomyia, or Ternopil are not just names on a map, but places of family memory.

Sometimes this memory is associated with pre-war Jewish life.

Sometimes — with the Holocaust.

Sometimes — with Soviet times, emigration, repatriation, and a break with the past.

Franko helps to see an earlier layer of this history. Before the catastrophes of the 20th century. Before the Soviet erasure of memory. Before today’s war of Russia against Ukraine.

He shows Galicia as a space where Ukrainian and Jewish histories were intertwined long before the emergence of modern states of Ukraine and Israel.

Fact two: Jewish characters in Franko’s works are a mirror of Galician society

Jewish characters in Franko’s works do not appear by chance.

They are connected with the social issues that concerned the writer: poverty, money, exploitation, power, labor, dependence, city, trade, education, national awakening, and justice.

Boryslav is especially important.

In the second half of the 19th century, Boryslav became one of the centers of oil production in Galicia. It was a world of sharp social contrasts. Workers, entrepreneurs, small intermediaries, landless people, people without protection, people with hope to get rich quickly, and people who had only their labor to sell came here.

Franko saw Boryslav as a symbol of the new capitalist order.

And in this world, Jewish characters often occupy the roles of traders, tenants, intermediaries, entrepreneurs, small dealers, city dwellers. But to read this only as a “depiction of Jews” would be a mistake.

Franko describes not an isolated Jewish community.

He describes a system of relationships.

Who owns the money.

Who works.

Who depends.

Who bargains.

Who survives.

Who takes advantage of another’s weakness.

Who remains a prisoner of their own position.

In such a picture, Jewish images become part of a broader social critique. But it is here that the complexity arises, which cannot be bypassed.

Stereotypes of the era: an uncomfortable but necessary part of the conversation

Franko was a great writer and thinker.

But he was not a person outside his time.

In his texts, one can find sympathy for the poor, interest in human fate, attention to social injustice. But one can also find sharp formulations, stereotypical images, generalizations that today sound heavy and require critical reading.

This is an important point.

If we write that Franko simply “loved the Jewish world,” it would be untrue.

If we write that Franko was only a bearer of anti-Jewish stereotypes, it would also be untrue.

His position is more complex.

He lived in a society where national movements fought for a place under the sun. Ukrainians of Galicia sought cultural and political rights. The Polish elite maintained influence. Jewish communities sought different paths — from traditional religious life to assimilation, socialist ideas, and Zionism.

In this environment, conflicts easily arose.

Economic.

Religious.

Everyday.

Political.

National.

Franko did not stand above all this as a cold observer. He was a participant in the disputes of his era. Therefore, his Jewish theme cannot be sterile.

NANews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency considers it important to talk about this without embellishments. Ukrainian-Jewish history does not become weaker from an honest conversation. On the contrary, it becomes more mature when it retains both light and shadow.

Fact three: Franko turned to the Jewish biblical tradition as a language of the people’s destiny

There is another level that is especially important for the Israeli reader.

This is the poem “Moses”.

For Ukrainian culture, “Moses” by Ivan Franko is one of the key texts. But it is not a work about the Jewish community of Galicia in the everyday sense. Here Franko reaches another level — biblical, symbolic, national.

Moses in Franko’s work is not just a hero of ancient history.

It is the image of a leader who leads the people through the desert.

The people are tired.

The people doubt.

The people do not always understand their prophet.

The people want results but are not always ready for the cost of the journey.

For Franko, this plot became a way to talk about the Ukrainian fate. About a people who have language, culture, memory, inner strength, but do not yet have their own state. About a people who need to go through a long desert of historical expectation.

Here the Jewish biblical image turns into a Ukrainian political and spiritual language.

For Israelis, this may be especially interesting.

The Ukrainian classic turns to the image of Moses not as a foreign decorative plot, but as a universal symbol of the people’s path, responsibility, freedom, and faith in the future.

Franko and Zionism: why the Ukrainian classic looked closely at the Jewish national movement

A separate topic, important for the Israeli reader, is Ivan Franko’s attitude towards Zionism.

At the end of the 19th century, Jewish politics in Europe was changing. The old question “how should Jews live among other peoples” no longer had one answer. Some chose assimilation. Others remained in the traditional religious environment. Some joined the socialist movement. And part of the Jewish intellectuals and activists increasingly spoke about national revival and the right of the Jewish people to their own political future.

Franko observed this not as a random newspaper reader.

He lived in Galicia, where the Jewish community was a noticeable part of society, economy, urban culture, and political life. Therefore, Zionism for him was not a distant theory, but one of the answers to the real problems of Jews in Eastern and Central Europe.

Researchers directly note: Franko’s attitude towards Jews was ambiguous, from sympathy and interest to harsh assessments and stereotypes, but after the fall of Soviet censorship, texts became more known in which his benevolent attitude towards Jews and Zionism is visible.

For Franko, Zionism was important primarily as an expression of national self-awareness.

He himself belonged to the Ukrainian movement, which sought cultural, social, and political rights for Ukrainians of Galicia. Therefore, he could perceive the Jewish national movement not as a strangeness, but as a parallel historical process: a people facing discrimination and pressure seeks a language of self-organization, dignity, and future.

In 1893, Franko was in Vienna and, according to researchers, met with Theodor Herzl — one of the main future ideologists of political Zionism. Later, Franko wrote a preface to the Lviv publication of Herzl’s work “The Jewish State”. At the same time, it is important not to simplify: Franko did not accept the idea of a Jewish state unconditionally and considered it difficult to implement, but he recognized the need for Jewish solidarity in the face of anti-Semitism.

This is a very important facet.

Franko could sharply criticize wealthy Jewish entrepreneurs, especially in texts about Boryslav and oil capitalism. But this criticism did not cancel the other: he saw the right of Jews to national self-organization and understood that anti-Semitism is a real threat, not an invented problem.

In this sense, Franko differed from many contemporaries.

In the Ukrainian, Polish, and pan-European environment of the late 19th century, anti-Semitic sentiments were strong. The Jewish population was often turned into a convenient object of accusations — for the poverty of peasants, for economic crises, for political failures, for fear of modernization. Against this background, Franko’s very readiness to discuss the Jewish question not only in the language of accusation but also in the language of rights, solidarity, and national future was important.

But again — without embellishment.

Franko was not a modern liberal author of the 21st century. In his legacy, there are texts and formulations that today require critical reading. Researchers therefore speak of the complexity of his attitude towards Jews: it combined support for Jewish emancipation, interest in Zionism, social criticism of Jewish capital, and stereotypes of the era.

For an article in the “History and Facts” section, this is especially valuable.

Franko shows that Ukrainian-Jewish history is not divided into black and white. There were conflicts in it, but there were also points of understanding. There was social criticism, but there was also the defense of the right of Jews to participate in public life. There were stereotypes, but there was also interest in the Jewish national movement.

Zionism in this history is also important because it connects Franko with a topic understandable to today’s Israel: the right of a people not to dissolve, not to disappear, not to be an eternal object of foreign policy, but to speak of itself as a subject of history.

It is here that Franko unexpectedly becomes interesting not only to the Ukrainian but also to the Israeli reader.

He looked at the Jewish question from Galicia — a region where Ukrainians themselves fought for voice, language, and recognition. Therefore, the Jewish aspiration for self-organization could not be an empty sound for him. It entered the same great historical conversation about peoples without full political power, about the rights of minorities, about the future of Eastern Europe, and about how to maintain dignity in a world of empires and national conflicts.

Fact four: Lviv in this topic is not just a place on the poster

Lviv in the history of Franko and the Jewish world is not a backdrop.

It is one of the main characters.

Here Franko lived, worked, wrote, argued, and died. Here Ukrainian political and literary thought was formed. Here, until World War II, there was a powerful Jewish life—religious, cultural, educational, commercial, political.

Lviv was a city of several memories.

Ukrainian.

Jewish.

Polish.

Austrian.

Later—Soviet.

And each of these memories left a mark, but not always preserved equally.

After the Holocaust, Jewish life in Lviv was almost destroyed. After Soviet rule, much was renamed, erased, silenced, or reduced to official formulations. After the restoration of Ukraine’s independence, a complex process of memory return began—not always quick, not always complete, but important.

Therefore, a lecture on Franko’s Jewish world in Lviv sounds different than it would in any other city.

In Lviv, this topic is literally underfoot.

In the streets.

In the houses.

In the archives.

In the museum collections.

In family stories.

In the vanished synagogues.

In Ukrainian texts.

In Jewish memory.

In the modern dialogue between Ukraine and Israel.

And if such a meeting takes place at the Honorary Consulate of the State of Israel in the Western region of Ukraine, it adds another meaning. It is not only about the past but also about today’s readiness to speak about shared history in the language of respect and accuracy.

Who is Ivan Franko: an explanation for the Israeli reader

Many Israelis may know the name Taras Shevchenko, but not always understand who Ivan Franko is.

And without this, it is difficult to understand why a lecture on his Jewish world is important at all.

Ivan Franko is one of the main Ukrainian writers, thinkers, and public figures of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For Ukrainian culture, he stands alongside Taras Shevchenko and Lesya Ukrainka.

If Shevchenko became a symbol of the Ukrainian national awakening of the 19th century, then Franko became a figure of another type—an intellectual of European scale, who combined literature, science, politics, journalism, translation, social criticism, and work with folk culture.

He was not only a poet.

Franko was a prose writer, playwright, translator, literary critic, publicist, scientist, political activist, folklore researcher, and a person of immense intellectual energy.

He wrote about poverty, labor, love, humiliation, dignity, social injustice, national awakening, human weakness, and the responsibility of the intelligentsia to the people.

Ivan Franko (August 27, 1856, Nahuievychi, Drohobych County, Sambir District, Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, Austrian Empire – May 28, 1916, Lviv, Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, Austria-Hungary) was an outstanding Ukrainian poet, publicist, translator, scientist, public and political figure. Doctor of Philosophy (1893), habilitated doctor (1895), full member of the Shevchenko Scientific Society (1899), honorary doctor of Kharkiv University (1906). Member of the “Prosvita” Society.

During his more than 40-year creative activity, Franko worked extremely productively as an original writer (poet, prose writer, playwright) and translator, literary critic and publicist, multifaceted scientist—literary, linguistic, translation, and art critic, ethnologist and folklorist, historian. His creative legacy is estimated to include several thousand works totaling more than 100 volumes. In total, during his lifetime, more than 220 editions were published as separate books and brochures, including more than 60 collections of his original and translated works of various genres. He was one of the first professional Ukrainian writers, meaning he earned a living through literary work.

Franko wrote primarily in Ukrainian—more precisely, in the literary Ukrainian of his time with a strong Galician linguistic layer.

But he was a multilingual author and intellectual.

He also wrote and published:

• in Polish—especially in the press and publicism;
• in German—for the Austrian and European scientific and publicistic space;
• used and knew Russian, Old Church Slavonic, Latin, Greek, translated from various languages;
• worked with texts in Hebrew/Jewish biblical tradition through biblical plots, primarily in the poem “Moses”, but wrote the poem itself in Ukrainian.

But the scale of Franko is best seen through his works.

One of the early and very important works is “Boa constrictor”, written in 1878. It is prose about Boryslav, oil capital, greed, dependence, and a world where money gradually begins to govern human relationships. For the theme of Galicia, this is especially important: Boryslav in Franko’s work becomes not just a city, but a symbol of new harsh capitalism.

In 1881–1882, Franko wrote the social novel “Boryslav Laughs”. In it, he showed the hard life of workers and the emergence of worker protest in oil Boryslav. It is not a novel “about industry” in the dry sense, but a text about people whom the new economy grinds between poverty, exploitation, and hope for justice.

In 1883, the historical novel “Zakhar Berkut” appeared. Its action is connected with the 13th century and the resistance of the Carpathian community to the Mongol invasion. For Ukrainian culture, this is one of the important texts about freedom, communal solidarity, dignity, and the ability of the people to defend their land. Through the past, Franko spoke about the present: that the people can withstand if they have internal organization, memory, and will.

In 1893, the drama “Stolen Happiness” was written. This is another side of Franko—not only a social thinker but also a subtle psychologist. At the center of the play is personal tragedy, ruined love, the pressure of circumstances, and the question of whether a person can preserve themselves when life is already broken by others’ decisions.

In 1895, Franko wrote the novel “The Foundations of Society”, where he again addressed the theme of social morality, power, money, and hypocrisy. He was interested not only in poverty as a fact but in how society is structured, where some people gain power, and others become dependent.

In 1896, the poetic cycle “Withered Leaves” was published. It is lyrics about love, pain, loneliness, internal fracture, and human vulnerability. This text is important because it shows that Franko was not only a “stonecutter”, not only a public fighter, but also an author of very personal, dramatic, emotional poetry.

In 1900, the novel “Crossroads” appeared. The very title is well-suited to the conversation about Franko and Galicia. It is a work about provincial society, politics, law, corruption, national work, personal choices, and the complex paths that people and entire communities take.

In 1905, Franko wrote the poem “Moses”—one of the key texts of Ukrainian literature. In it, the biblical image of Moses becomes the language of conversation about the fate of the people, leadership, doubts, desert, freedom, and the path to the future. For Ukrainians, it was not just a retelling of the biblical plot, but a reflection on their own national path.

That is why Franko is especially interesting for the Israeli reader.

He addressed the Jewish biblical tradition not as a distant folklore, but as a universal language of history. Through Moses, Franko spoke about a people seeking a path, tiring, doubting, arguing with the prophet, but still facing the question of freedom.

There is also another well-known work, important for understanding Franko’s image—the poem “The Stonecutters”, written in 1878. It is with this that his image of the Stonecutter is associated. In Ukrainian culture, The Stonecutter is a person who breaks the rock and paves the way forward. This image became a symbol of labor, perseverance, resistance, and movement towards freedom.

Therefore, Franko in Ukraine is not just the author of several school texts.

He is one of those who helped Ukrainian culture transition from a folkloric and romantic tradition to a modern intellectual nation. He wrote about peasants and workers, about the city and industry, about love and politics, about the past and the future, about the people and the individual, about weakness and dignity.

His place in Ukrainian literature is special.

Taras Shevchenko gave Ukrainians a powerful poetic and national voice. Lesya Ukrainka brought Ukrainian literature to the level of European philosophical drama and intellectual poetry. Ivan Franko stood between them and alongside them as a universal figure: writer, scientist, publicist, critic, translator, political thinker, and builder of modern Ukrainian culture.

Franko was born and formed in Galicia, where Ukrainian history constantly intersected with Jewish, Polish, Austrian, and pan-European. Therefore, his texts help to understand not only Ukraine but also the Eastern European world from which millions of Jewish families emerged.

Through Franko, one can see the map of Galicia not as a dry historical region, but as a living space.

Nahuievychi—the birthplace.

Drohobych—the city of youth.

Boryslav—a symbol of oil capitalism and social pain.

Lviv—the center of culture, politics, journalism, and memory.

And alongside this—Jewish communities, markets, religious life, poverty, wealth, socialism, Zionism, stereotypes, fears, dialogue, and conflicts.

There is also another important fact that helps to understand the scale of memory about Franko.

In Ukraine, there is a city named after him—Ivano-Frankivsk. Historically, this city was called Stanislaviv, later Stanislav. In 1962, it was renamed Ivano-Frankivsk in honor of Ivan Franko. This happened in Soviet times, for the 300th anniversary of the city, but the logic of renaming was connected with the fact that Franko was perceived as one of the largest figures of Ukrainian culture and as a symbol of Galicia.

Why his name?

Because Franko is not a local author of one region. He became a national symbol. His name is associated with Western Ukraine, Lviv, Galicia, the Ukrainian language, literature, enlightenment, social thought, and the idea of cultural dignity. Therefore, the city of Ivano-Frankivsk on the map of Ukraine is not just an administrative name, but a sign of the place Franko occupies in Ukrainian memory.

For the Israeli reader, this can be explained simply: Franko for Ukraine is not only a writer but one of the people through whom Ukrainians learned to speak about themselves as a modern nation.

Therefore, the conversation about Franko and the Jewish world is not a narrow literary topic.

It is a way to understand how Ukrainian culture saw Jewish life.

How Jewish presence shaped Galicia.

How the biblical Moses became one of the images of the Ukrainian national path.

How national movements of the late 19th century sought the language of the future.

And why today, after all the catastrophes of the 20th century and against the backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine, it is important to talk about this without false sweetness and without destructive simplification.

Franko does not give us a convenient legend.

He gives complex material.

That is why he is important.

The history of Ukrainians and Jews in Galicia was not only a history of neighborhood but also a history of tension. Not only a history of pain but also a history of influence. Not only a history of rupture but also a history of shared cultural fabric.

The lecture in Lviv was just an occasion to reopen this topic.

And the topic itself is much broader than one meeting.

It is about the fact that Ukraine and the Jewish world have a long shared history—with cities, names, texts, conflicts, biblical images, and memory that cannot be given to either propaganda or oblivion.

Therefore, the conversation about Franko today is important not only for philologists.

It is important for everyone who wants to understand why Ukrainian-Jewish history is not an appendix to the great European history, but one of its central lines.

A small fish that argues with biology textbooks

In the rivers of Mexico and southern Texas lives a small silvery fish that many biologists long considered an almost impossible mistake of nature. It doesn’t look dangerous, doesn’t impress with its size, and doesn’t resemble a sensation.

But it is the Amazon molly that has become one of the strangest mysteries of evolutionary biology.

This species has no males. At all.

Schools of Amazon mollies consist only of females, but they still need a male for reproduction — just not of their own species, but a closely related one. The female chooses a partner, uses his sperm as a biological ‘starter key,’ after which the male DNA does not enter the offspring.

As a result, only females are born again.

Genetically, they are almost copies of their mother. This form of reproduction is called gynogenesis: the sperm triggers the development of the embryo but does not become part of the hereditary material of the new generation.

At first glance, this looks like a perfect scheme. No need to look for ‘your’ male, no need to mix genes, no need to pass on only half of your genetic set to the offspring. But this is where the main problem begins.

From the point of view of classical evolutionary logic, such a species should not exist for long.

Why life without males was considered a dead end

Sexual reproduction seems inconvenient and costly to nature. You need to find a partner, compete, expend energy, take risks, and pass on not the entire set of genes to the offspring, but only part of it.

Asexual reproduction looks simpler and more efficient: one individual itself gives offspring, passing on almost all of its genetic material.

But in biology, simplicity does not always mean an advantage.

Sex is needed by nature not for romance, but for genetic diversity. When the genes of the mother and father mix, each generation receives a new combination of traits. This helps the species adapt to diseases, climate, parasites, environmental changes, and random threats.

Even more important is that sexual reproduction helps cleanse the genome of harmful mutations.

When copying DNA, errors are inevitable. In species with sexual reproduction, some of these errors are eliminated by natural selection. In clones, the situation is more dangerous: if a harmful mutation appears, it can be passed on further and further, accumulating in generations.

This process is called Muller’s ratchet.

The meaning is simple: genetic degradation moves like a mechanism that cannot turn back. Errors accumulate, it becomes harder to fix them, and at some point, the species should find itself on the path to extinction.

That’s why the Amazon molly so irritates the usual schemes.

It has existed for about 100,000 years. For a species that reproduces clonally and does not receive normal gene exchange through males, this is a huge period.

How the Amazon molly defied the evolutionary verdict

The story of this fish began about 100,000 years ago when a female Atlantic molly crossed with a male sailfin molly. In a normal situation, such a hybrid could have been a dead-end branch — beautiful, strange, but unable to create a sustainable line.

However, a rare evolutionary glitch occurred.

A new species appeared that learned to use males of other closely related species only to trigger reproduction. Their DNA almost does not enter the offspring, but the very fact of contact with sperm is needed for the embryo’s development to begin.

Thus, the Amazon molly emerged — a female species that lives off a foreign biological ‘starter’ but does not pass male genes to its daughters.

On the level of the plot, this sounds like a natural provocation. On the level of science — as a challenge to the basic question: how has its genome not yet collapsed under the weight of mutations?

The answer seems to be related to a mechanism that scientists describe as gene conversion.

To explain without complex terminology, it’s like an internal ‘copy-paste’ system. When one copy of a gene is damaged, the cell can use another copy as a template for repair. This process also exists in humans, but in the Amazon molly, according to new data, it plays a special role.

This fish doesn’t just copy itself generation after generation.

It constantly ‘cleans up’ dangerous sections of DNA.

Genetic repair instead of regular sex

A new study published in Nature showed an important detail: although the Amazon molly indeed accumulates mutations faster than its parent species with sexual reproduction, this has not led to the functional destruction of the genome.

In other words, mutations exist, but they have not destroyed the species.

The reason may be that gene conversion helps natural selection more effectively eliminate the most dangerous errors. Damaged sections of DNA can be rewritten from more successful copies, and harmful mutations do not have time to quickly turn into a deadly burden.

It’s important not to exaggerate here. The Amazon molly has not proven that sexual reproduction is ‘unnecessary.’ It has shown something else: nature sometimes finds workarounds where theory expected a dead end.

For science, this is fundamental.

If clonal species were often considered a temporary anomaly doomed to extinction, it is now clear: some organisms may have their own mechanisms of genetic protection.

In this sense, the small fish from the warm waters of Mexico and Texas has become not a curiosity, but an important clue.

For the Israeli audience, this story is also interesting because Israel has long lived in a culture of science, medicine, biotechnology, and precise data analysis. When Nikk.Agency — Israel News | Nikk.Agency discusses such topics, it’s not just about an unusual fish, but about how fundamental biology can one day influence the understanding of mutations, hereditary risks, and oncological processes.

Why this fish is important not only for biologists

The Amazon molly shows that evolution does not always follow a neat school scheme. It can work through exceptions, glitches, hybrids, random successes, and unexpected self-repair mechanisms.

Scientists have long known that there are other species in nature that break the usual rules. For example, rotifers — microscopic creatures from freshwater bodies — have also lived without males for millions of years. They were even called an ‘evolutionary scandal’ because, according to classical calculations, they should have disappeared long ago.

Rotifers took a different path: they can use foreign genetic material from the environment. Some of these ‘borrowed’ genes help them survive drying, diseases, and extreme conditions.

The Amazon molly chose a different scenario.

It doesn’t so much steal foreign genes as use its own hybrid baggage. Its genome retains the legacy of two different parental species, giving it more options for internal DNA repair.

Simply put, it started with an unusually rich genetic set and then learned to maintain it in working condition.

Connection with medicine: cautious but important

The main practical interest of this story is mutations.

Mutations are at the core of many diseases, including cancer. Of course, the Amazon molly does not provide a ready-made cure and does not turn a biological discovery into a medical instruction. But it shows that nature can build genome protection systems differently than previously thought.

For researchers, this can be a valuable model.

If we understand how exactly this fish recognizes, rewrites, and eliminates harmful mutations, we can delve deeper into the logic of genetic repair itself. In medicine, such knowledge is never superfluous, especially where DNA damage, hereditary failures, and tumor processes are concerned.

No one knows yet whether the Amazon molly will live for hundreds of thousands or millions more years.

But it is already clear: it has not just survived against expectations. It has made scientists more cautious about saying what is ‘impossible’ in nature.

This fish has not canceled the laws of evolution.

It has reminded us that the laws of life are more complex than convenient formulas. Sometimes a small creature from a quiet river can pose a big question to all of biology: what if nature has more ways to survive than we are used to thinking?

The Sholem Aleichem Museum in Kyiv is the only state museum in Ukraine where the history of Yiddish and the Jewish shtetl comes alive within the very home of the literary classic. Exhibitions, lectures, and rotating displays make it a point of attraction for Jews in Israel and the Ukrainian diaspora, and NAnews provides a detailed overview.

Memory That Greets You with “Shalom Aleichem”

On March 2, 2009, at 5 Velyka Vasylkivska Street in Kyiv, the Sholem Aleichem Museum opened — the first state-run space in modern Ukraine dedicated to the life, work, and era of Sholem Aleichem.

The house where the classic author lived from 1896 to 1903 became not just a memorial space, but a meeting point of cultures for Jews from both Ukraine and Israel.

“Kyiv is my city… The fact that I cannot be in Kyiv brings me sorrow,” — Sholem Aleichem replied in 1908 to a congratulatory telegram marking the 25th anniversary of his literary career.

Kyiv and Ukraine in the Writer’s Biography

Kyiv played a crucial role in shaping Sholem Rabinovich, later known as Sholem Aleichem (“Shalom Aleichem” — “Peace be upon you,” a traditional greeting). It was here that he wrote his iconic works: “Menachem-Mendl”, “In the Small World of Small People”, the “Tevye the Milkman” stories, and “All of Berdichev”.

These writings helped embed Yiddish culture into global literature and made the author a chronicler of shtetl life.

Permanent Exhibition: From Manuscripts to Matzevot

The Kyiv Sholem Aleichem Museum’s permanent exhibition tells the story of the writer’s life and work, while also offering visitors a chance to explore the spiritual and material culture of Eastern European Jews. During guided tours, visitors can see Jewish ritual items and objects from traditional Jewish households.

Monitors in the exhibition hall display film and theater excerpts based on Sholem Aleichem’s works, Jewish architecture, and the unique craftsmanship of Jewish stonemasons — including Jewish gravestones (matzevot), rare books, manuscripts, and calligraphy samples. The exhibition also features an installation about the Beilis Trial, a legal case that captured public attention across Russia and Europe in the early 20th century.

The museum’s main hall offers a deep dive into the spiritual and everyday life of Jews in Eastern Europe, including:

• Ritual and household items
• Ancient books, manuscripts, and calligraphy samples
• Fragments of plays and films based on Sholem Aleichem’s works
• Authentic Jewish gravestones (matzevot)
• Installations about the Beilis Trial — an event that shook early 20th-century Europe

This permanent exhibition makes the museum a place where the past doesn’t gather dust in archives but speaks directly to visitors in the language of image and memory.

In addition to the main hall, the museum includes a gallery for temporary exhibitions — new showcases are launched almost every month, many focused on Jewish themes in art.

Temporary Exhibitions and “The History of Jewish Clothing”

The museum’s second exhibition space hosts monthly special projects. Currently, it features “The History of Jewish Clothing” — a display exploring the symbolism and function of traditional Jewish garments. Through shawls, caftans, and tallitot, visitors learn how clothing reflected religious identity, gender, social status, and communal belonging.

Past exhibits included “The Shtetl Through the Eyes of AI” and the moving art series “Return Alive!”.

The Museum as a Cultural and Research Center

Under the leadership of director Iryna Klymova, the memorial home has become a dynamic hub, offering:

• Lectures on Ukrainian and world history — online and in-person
• The “Pages of Jewish History and Culture” program for Kyiv schoolchildren
• “Draw Together” art workshops led by Iryna Klymova
• Conferences, seminars, cultural meetings, and concerts

The museum serves as a guardian of memory, a research institution, and a cultural bridge.

Connection with Israel: Why It Matters Today

For Jews in Israel, especially those of Ukrainian descent, the museum has become a place of memory and renewal. It holds the history they carried with them, and here their culture continues to resonate.

This is why NAnews — Israel News regularly reports on the museum’s projects, highlighting its importance in the Ukrainian-Israeli cultural dialogue.

Practical Information

Address: Kyiv, 5 Velyka Vasylkivska St. (Metro “Lva Tolstoho”)

Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 11:00–17:00 (ticket office closes 45 min before)

Phone: +380 (44) 235-17-34

Website: sholomaleichemmuseum.com

The museum is part of the Kyiv City History Museum Network, which includes nine branches — each dedicated to a different page of local and national memory.

In Conclusion

Sholem Aleichem once said: “I am the chronicler of the Jewish people.”

Today, the museum that bears his name continues that chronicle — adding new chapters about resilience, culture, and the bond between Israel and Ukraine.

NAnews — Israel News will continue to cover cultural events shaping the shared future of our nations.

Israel and Iran have entered a new phase of direct confrontation

Early in the morning on Monday, June 8, 2026, Israel launched a series of strikes on targets in western and central Iran. According to IDF reports, the operation was conducted by the Israeli Air Force with the participation of the Intelligence Directorate and was aimed at military targets and infrastructure of the Iranian regime.

This is no longer an exchange of statements or the usual proxy war. It is a direct strike by Israel on Iranian territory following a missile attack on Israeli territory the previous evening.

Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, and other areas. Reuters also reported that Israel struck a complex in Mahshahr in southwestern Iran, and The Guardian wrote about explosions in Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj, and Tabriz.

What the IDF reported in the morning

Around 6 a.m., the army’s press service stated that IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir and senior army commanders conducted a situation assessment and are directing strikes on Iran from the Israeli Air Force command center.

In footage released by the IDF, according to JNS, Eyal Zamir, Israeli Air Force Commander Major General Tomer Tishler, and other senior officers were seen in the Air Force command center on June 8, 2026.

According to Israeli reports, one of the targets was ground-to-ground missile launchers, defense systems, and infrastructure facilities. It was separately reported that production and strategic facilities, which could be linked to Iran’s missile and drone programs, were hit.

For the Israeli audience, it’s not just the number of targets that matters here. More importantly, the IDF demonstrates that after Iranian attacks, it is ready to act not only against proxy structures in Lebanon, Syria, or Yemen but against Iranian military infrastructure itself.

Why Israel responded now

The Israeli attack was a response to Iran’s missile strike on Israeli territory on Sunday evening. According to various reports, Iran launched about 10-11 missiles, some of which were intercepted by the Israeli air defense system. Reuters reported 11 missiles launched by the IRGC at Israeli targets.

In Israel, there were reports of people injured on their way to shelters, as well as falling debris and damage to homes in Samaria. According to Israeli reports, one of the missiles or its fragments fell in the vineyards near the settlement; there were no casualties, but several homes were damaged.

The IRGC claimed that the targets of the attack were the Israeli airbases Nevatim in the south and Tel Nof in the center of the country. The Israeli side did not confirm the damage to these bases.

Iran linked the strike to Lebanon

Tehran stated that it attacked Israel in response to Israeli strikes on Dahiya, a southern suburb of Beirut considered one of Hezbollah’s key areas of influence. This formula is important: Iran effectively shows again that it considers the Lebanese front as part of a unified war against Israel.

For Israel, this means an expansion of the threat. The north, center, south of the country, the Red Sea, Ben Gurion Airport, and maritime routes become elements of a single picture where Iran, Hezbollah, and the Houthis act not separately but as parts of a unified pro-Iranian pressure system.

It is in this context that Nikk.Agency — Israel News | Nikk.Agency views the current escalation not as a single night episode but as a test of the entire regional security architecture: from air defense and aviation to transport, schools, airports, and international negotiations.

Houthis, Ben Gurion, and the US position: what changes for Israel

On the morning of June 8, alarms sounded in central Israel and the Jerusalem area. The IDF reported a missile launch from Yemen, which was intercepted. AP/NPR also reported that Yemeni Houthis launched a missile at Israel and threatened strikes on Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea.

This is not a minor detail. When the Houthis re-engage in attacks on Israel, it is not only about the missile threat to the civilian population but also about the risk to maritime trade, insurance rates, shipping routes, and logistics through the Red Sea.

Ben Gurion is still open, but restrictions are being discussed

Amid the strikes and alarms, Israeli authorities have tightened restrictions within the country. The Home Front Command has put all areas of Israel into a limited activity mode: educational institutions are closed, exams are canceled, and rules for gatherings and workplaces are tightened.

Ben Gurion Airport remained open on the morning of June 8, but authorities were discussing limiting the number of passengers and additional security measures. There was talk of possibly reducing crowding at the airport and the impact of these decisions on the number of flights.

For Israeli residents, this is the most practical level of war: not only missiles in the sky but also the question of whether schools will operate, whether they can go to work, whether flights will be canceled, how safe it is to go to the airport, and what to do for those with tickets for the coming days.

Trump asked Netanyahu not to respond immediately

A separate line of the crisis is the US position. Axios reported that on June 7, 2026, US President Donald Trump, in a phone conversation, asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to respond to the Iranian strike immediately and to give a few days for continued negotiations with Iran.

According to Israeli and American sources, Trump claimed that Washington was close to an agreement with Tehran. However, Israel still launched a strike. The Guardian also wrote that the Israeli attack occurred despite Trump’s call for restraint.

Here arises the main political question: where does the US diplomatic window end and Israeli military necessity begin? For Washington, it is important to maintain the negotiation process. For Jerusalem, it is important to show Iran that a direct missile strike on Israel will not go unanswered.

What this means for the coming hours

The situation remains unstable now. Iran continues to threaten retaliation, the IRGC speaks of readiness to act on different fronts, the Houthis are increasing threats in the Red Sea, and Israel maintains military initiative and expands the freedom of action of the Air Force in Iranian airspace.

For Israeli citizens, the main guide is not rumors on social media but updates from the Home Front Command, the IDF, Ben Gurion Airport, and airlines. If restrictions continue, it will affect not only security but also the economy, transport, schools, small businesses, and daily life.

For now, one thing is clear: the night of June 8, 2026, marked a new stage in the Israel-Iran conflict in the Middle East. The previous formula “Iran acts through proxies” no longer fully describes reality. Direct strikes, a Yemeni missile, the Lebanese background, and American pressure combine into one picture — Israel finds itself at the center of a multi-front crisis where every decision can change the pace of the entire regional war.

Journalists mynet talked about the unusual cafe “Familia”, which recently opened in Rishon LeZion (Zadal 5 Rishon Le Zion, Israel – on the map near the City Park “גן המושבה, ראשון לציון”). The owners of the establishment, repatriates from Ukraine Artem and Alena Bibenko, arrived in Israel only four years ago, but have already managed to make a contribution to the local gastronomic culture. Not knowing Hebrew, but putting their hearts into their work, they managed to attract the attention of both local residents and the press.

History of the cafe

“Familia”, a name reflecting a warm family atmosphere, was chosen for a reason. The couple worked in large cafes in Israel, where they worked with workers from Mexico and Brazil. It was their colleagues who gave them the nickname “family,” which inspired the couple to choose the name for their establishment.

Quote from mynet website:

“If you live in Rishon Lezion, you have probably heard talk about a new establishment that has become famous in the city. Meet the Familia cafe.

---

What attracts visitors to Familia?

The cafe is famous for its excellent Italian coffee and a variety of fresh dishes. The menu includes:

• Sandwiches prepared on site by Alena
• Desserts including signature lemon tart and cheesecake
• Salads and new dishes will be added soon

Every day the cafe receives many visitors, most of whom are local residents who highly appreciate the warm atmosphere and high quality of service.

Difficulties and successes

Since the couple does not speak Hebrew, communication with clients is sometimes difficult. However, this did not become an obstacle to the popularity of the cafe.

• Language: The owners rely on the help of their 16-year-old daughter Veronica, who helped with translations during the launch phase. Communication is in English and basic Hebrew.
• Clients: People from the former USSR live next to the cafe, which helps communication and gives the place a special flavor.

Quote from mynet:

“Many townspeople come and praise us, we are very pleased,” Alena shares her impressions.

Personal history of Bibenko

The couple had long dreamed of moving to Israel. When their dream came true, they firmly decided to create a cafe similar to the one that Artem owned in Ukraine.

— Were you surprised by the rave reviews from city residents?

“Many local residents come and share warm words, and this is very nice,” admit the cafe owners.

— How do you cope with not knowing Hebrew?

“We sometimes translate orders for each other or speak English. We already have some “kitchen Hebrew”, so we can explain our dishes. There are also a lot of repatriates here, since there is a city park nearby.”

The owners of the cafe say that they moved to Israel before the war, and the owner’s mother remained in Ukraine, for whom they are worried. She also plans to move to Israel in the near future due to the harsh winter in Ukraine.

“We dreamed of living in Israel for years, and when we moved, our expectations were completely met,” says the cafe owner.

Cafe options	Description
Name	Familia
Address	Zadal 5 Rishon Le Zion, Israel
Founders	Artem and Alena Bibenko
Specialties	Italian coffee, lemon tart, cheesecake
Additional	16-year-old daughter Veronica to help

Conclusion

The story of Café Familia is an example of how diligence and warmth can overcome cultural and language barriers.

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On June 25, 2026, in Tel Aviv, a chamber Ukrainian evening “Maiden Joys. Kupala” will take place, dedicated to one of the most beautiful and symbolic holidays of Ukrainian tradition — Ivan Kupala.

The event will take place at 20:00 at the Ukrainian Cultural Center at the address: Yermiyahu Street, 22, Tel Aviv.

For the Ukrainian community in Israel, this is not just a calendar meeting. It is an evening of remembrance of roots, living culture, women’s communication, music, aromas, summer mysticism, and that warm connection with Ukraine, which is especially important to maintain far from home.

Kupala in Israel: Ukrainian tradition in the heart of Tel Aviv

The Ivan Kupala holiday in Ukrainian culture has always been associated with nature, water, fire, herbs, wreaths, wishes, and belief in the special power of a summer night.

According to folk beliefs, it was on Kupala night that people searched for the fern flower, wove wreaths, made wishes, and listened to the signs of nature. These images have long become part of Ukrainian cultural memory — not museum-like, but living, domestic, passed down through stories, songs, gestures, and rituals.

In Tel Aviv, the organizers offer to touch this tradition in a soft and cozy format. The evening is designed for a small number of participants, so the atmosphere promises to be not massive, but almost family-like — with communication, details, attention to mood, and the personal presence of each guest.

What will be in the evening program

The program includes mystical stories and tales about Kupala traditions, wreath weaving, music, warm communication, light snacks, and sparkling wine.

A separate part of the evening will be dedicated to aromatic oils. Larisa Garkalyuk will conduct an excursion into the world of aromas and talk about the properties of oils that help restore inner harmony, fill with energy, and feel a connection with nature.

Two thematic photo zones will be prepared for guests. Professional photos will be taken by Boris Podelko, so participants will have not only impressions but also beautiful photographs as a keepsake.

Why such evenings are important for Ukrainians in Israel

After 2022, Ukrainian culture for many has become not only part of personal biography but also a way to maintain a connection with home, language, tradition, and community. In Israel, where a noticeable Ukrainian community lives, such events work on several levels: they help meet, talk, feel support, and show that Ukrainian culture continues to resonate even far from Ukraine.

For the Israeli audience, this is also an important signal. Ukrainian holidays, theatrical projects, cultural evenings, and public initiatives in Tel Aviv create a visible space of Ukrainian presence in Israel — not only news or political, but also human.

In this context, NANews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency follows such initiatives as part of the big story of Ukrainian-Israeli ties: through culture, language, communication, memory, and support for people who are building their lives in Israel today but maintain a connection with Ukraine.

Format, address, and registration

The evening “Maiden Joys. Kupala” will take place on June 25 at 20:00.

Venue: Ukrainian Cultural Center, Yermiyahu Street, 22, Tel Aviv.

The number of places is limited — only 20 participants. This format makes the event more personal and chamber-like: here, not only the program and photo zones are important, but also the very feeling of a circle where you can calmly talk, remember Ukrainian traditions, and spend a summer evening in a warm atmosphere.

Kupala night as memory, beauty, and meeting

“Maiden Joys. Kupala” is not an event about folklore for the sake of folklore. Rather, it is an attempt to transfer the Ukrainian summer ritual into the modern urban context of Tel Aviv: without a stage and officialdom, through wreaths, aromas, photographs, stories, and live communication.

For Ukrainian women in Israel, such an evening can become an opportunity to return for a few hours to familiar symbols of childhood, family stories, and the Ukrainian calendar.

And for the Ukrainian cultural space in Israel itself, it is another sign: tradition continues to live when it is not just remembered, but people are gathered around it.

Film “Vkorineni” (Russian: “Rooted”) is the first project of the Post Bellum Ukraine team, dedicated to preserving the history of small national communities of Ukraine. Based on interviews recorded in 2024 in cities such as Lviv, Odessa and Belgorod-Dnestrovsky, the film reveals the fates of representatives of four national communities – Crimean Tatars, Bulgarians, Jews and Hungarians.

These stories show how the lives of these people passed during Soviet times and after Ukraine gained independence.

The film premiered in Ukraine in November 20224.

Life stories and memories

In the film, four characters tell their stories: Lerana Khanum Kurtneby Kiza (Crimean Tatar), Valentina Nikiruy (Bulgarian), Peter Gergely (Hungarian) and Pavel Kozlenko (Jew). They share memories of their past in the Soviet Union, deportation and life in exile, the return to Crimea for the Crimean Tatars and how they survived the changes that Ukraine’s independence brought.

“We record the memories of eyewitnesses to make Ukrainian voices in world history louder and ourselves stronger,” says the Post Bellum Ukraine team. This film is part of their project aimed at preserving the memory of national communities.

Important points and questions

The film touches on important issues such as the life of national communities during the Soviet period, their attitude towards their culture and language, and their reaction to the changes that occurred after the restoration of Ukrainian independence in 1991. One of the key issues is the issue of patriotism, and how it is perceived by representatives of different ethnic groups in Ukraine.

“The film will try to answer the following questions: how did national communities actually live in Soviet times? What was it like for the Crimean Tatars to return to their native Crimea after deportation? And what does patriotism mean to these communities?” – say the filmmakers.

Legacy and future

The documentary film is not limited only to historical facts, but also reflects on the future of Ukraine and the role of national communities in this process. He emphasizes the importance of winning the war with Russia and how it will affect the further development of all national groups in Ukraine.

The Post Bellum Ukraine team recorded 15 interviews with people of different generations living in different parts of Ukraine – Transcarpathia, Bessarabia, Odessa, Crimea and Lviv. These testimonies highlight the multi-ethnic nature of Ukraine and the importance of a shared future for all ethnic groups.

Why is preserving history important?

Civil organization Post Bellum Ukraine was created in order to preserve the memory of the events experienced and to make these stories accessible to future generations. The project also promotes the dissemination of information about the significance of Ukrainian history in the international arena.

“We talk about the past to make our future better,” say the organizers.

Directing and technical support

The film was shot under the direction of director Maxim Gnip, who, together with assistant editor Victoria Solovyuk, did a great job to convey all the emotions and experiences of the characters. Great attention was paid to the quality of editing, sound and direction to make these memories as vivid and truthful as possible.

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Table: Representatives of national communities in the film “Vkorineni”

Community	Representative	Main topics of the interview
Crimean Tatars	Lerana Khanum Kurtnebi Kiza	Deportation, return to Crimea, national identity
Bulgarians	Valentina Nikiruy	Soviet period, culture, influence of independence
Hungarians	Peter Gergely	Patriotism, integration into Ukrainian society
Jews	Pavel Kozlenko	History, culture, changes after independence

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Conclusion

“Vkorineni” is not just a film about four national communities of Ukraine. This is an in-depth study of historical memory, national identity and the future of Ukraine as a multinational country. The film helps to understand how important victories in the war with Russia are and how they determine the future of Ukraine for all its citizens.

Material published on the website NAnewswhere you can find more detailed information about Ukrainian national communities and cultural projects.

Movie trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KULA5ij162M

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On June 6, 2023, Russian military forces blew up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam in the Kherson region. Three years after this disaster, it becomes clear: it’s not just about destroyed infrastructure, flooded settlements, and billions of dollars in damage. A new natural reality is already forming at the site of the former Kakhovka Reservoir, and for people in southern Ukraine, the main threat is not the water that has gone, but the water that is now absent.

According to official data, after the dam explosion, 80 settlements were flooded, 16,000 people were left homeless, and the preliminary damage from the destruction was estimated at 14 billion dollars. The full scale of the losses can only be calculated after the de-occupation of southern Ukraine.

What is happening at the site of the Kakhovka Reservoir

Ecologist Maksim Soroka, scientific director of the Ukrainian Laboratory of Public Research “Dovkola”, told UNIAN (June 5, 2026) that the former water area of the Kakhovka Reservoir is gradually returning to its natural ecological regime. But this does not mean that the former Great Meadow is returning there.

On the drained territories, spring floods occur, the first forest is actively developing, and biodiversity is growing. According to the expert, nature quickly occupies the empty space: the territory is inhabited by both local plant species and invasive vegetation.

Why the Great Meadow will not return in its former form

Soroka states directly: the ecosystem that existed before the construction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant is lost forever. The destruction of the dam itself does not automatically trigger the restoration of the historical Great Meadow. Instead, a new, still not fully understood natural system is emerging.

This is an important point for the Israeli audience. In Israel, they understand well the value of water, irrigation, drought, and mistakes in managing natural resources. Therefore, the story of Kakhovka is not only a Ukrainian tragedy but also a big lesson for countries where security, agriculture, and water are directly linked.

Currently, a rapid growth of willow-poplar forests is being recorded on the former bottom of the reservoir. The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine conducted expeditions over three years and confirmed the development of biodiversity; red-listed plants were discovered, and in the branches of the Dnipro above and below Enerhodar, representatives of sturgeon fish species were identified for the first time since the dam’s construction.

However, positive changes in nature do not negate the main issue: the socio-economic catastrophe continues.

The water is gone, and with it, the region’s stability

The absence of the Kakhovka Reservoir as a huge reservoir of fresh water has become a factor that hinders the recovery of southern Ukraine. Cities can now partially live without “Kakhovka”, but only under one strict condition: if the evacuated residents do not return, and the former enterprises and agriculture do not resume operations on the previous scale.

Two powerful water pipelines were built with international donor funds. They fully cover the domestic needs of cities, but for small settlements, they provide only about 25% of the needs. Agriculture, irrigation, and industry are left without a reliable source of fresh water.

Kryvyi Rih, Nikopol, Marhanets: water is available, but the problem is not solved

The situation is especially difficult in Kryvyi Rih and the Kryvyi Rih region. Before the Kakhovka disaster, part of the region received water from the Kakhovka Reservoir. Now about 60% of Kryvyi Rih residents are forced to use water with mineralization reaching 1200–1300 mg/l, whereas previously the indicator was about 500–600 mg/l.

The new pipelines have reduced the salinity of the water, but have not solved the strategic problem. Water is supplied to Nikopol and Marhanets, but it is only enough for domestic needs. The situation is exacerbated by constant Russian shelling: damaged networks lose a significant portion of the water, which simply goes into the ground.

In the middle of this story, it is especially clear why NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency pays attention to the Ukrainian environmental agenda. For Israel, where water has long been a matter of national security, the Ukrainian south after Kakhovka looks not like a distant geography, but a warning of how an infrastructural blow can change the lives of entire regions for decades.

Farmers and villages found themselves in the most vulnerable zone

In the spring, Soroka’s laboratory studied the Zelenodolsk, Pokrovske, and Apostolove communities in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The main conclusion is harsh: the new pipelines practically do not reach there, and people in rural areas are left without normal water.

These territories lived off greenhouses, small farming, horticulture, and growing greens. According to estimates, local farms provided about one-fifth of all greens to the markets of Ukraine. Now farmers are forced to use brackish groundwater for irrigation and understand that they are gradually poisoning their own soils.

According to the ecologist, in 10–15 years, the fertility of some agricultural lands may decrease by half. This is not a temporary inconvenience, but a long-term blow to the region: soils form over millennia, but they can be destroyed much faster.

Can the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant be restored

The question of restoring the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant remains the most controversial. On one hand, the construction of the Soviet reservoir was a heavy intervention in nature and people’s destinies: settlements were flooded, residents were evicted, historical memory was erased. On the other hand, it was the reserve of fresh water that allowed the region to develop, feed people, and support industry.

Soroka believes that without the reservoir, the region cannot exist on the previous scale. If the territories are returned to their primary natural state, an honest answer must be given to the question: where to put the majority of the population that previously lived off this infrastructure?

Why restoration is becoming increasingly difficult

Technically, restoring the reservoir is already extremely difficult. According to calculations, to provide the region with water, a guaranteed useful volume of about 6 cubic kilometers is needed, and in the peak period — up to 9 cubic kilometers. Before the disaster, the total volume of the Kakhovka Reservoir was 16–18 cubic kilometers.

But now a huge willow-poplar forest is growing at the site of the former reservoir. If such territories are flooded again, the decaying plant mass can create a long-term hydrochemical problem and turn the future reservoir not into a source of fresh water, but into a dangerous swamp.

There is another factor — mines. The territory of the former reservoir is mined, and specialists cannot yet name a clear technology or the cost of full technical and humanitarian demining. As long as the war continues, any discussions about restoring the Kakhovka Reservoir remain more theoretical.

What this means for Ukraine and Israel

The Kakhovka disaster shows that war destroys not only homes, bridges, and power plants. It changes water, soils, markets, migration, agriculture, and the future of entire communities.

For Ukraine, it is a matter of survival for the south after Russian aggression. For Israel, it is another example of how vulnerable civilian infrastructure is in a region where the enemy deliberately targets water, energy, and living conditions.

The new ecosystem at the site of the Kakhovka Reservoir may become unique for Ukraine and the world. But alongside this natural process remains the human cost: villages without water, farmers without proper irrigation, cities with deteriorated water quality, and people who want to return home but do not know if their land can be livable again.