How did four Ukrainian Jews — Jan Koum, Leonid Radvinsky, Michael Polsky and Max Levchin — go from childhood in Kyiv, Odesa and the Kharkiv region to a combined net worth of over $25 billion in the United States?
Each of them founded or led a world‑class company: Jan Koum was one of the creators of WhatsApp, Leonid Radvinsky turned OnlyFans into a global phenomenon, Michael Polsky founded Invenergy LLC in the “green” energy sector, and Max Levchin co‑founded PayPal and now runs Affirm.
This is reported in a publication by Forbes. By the number of billionaire immigrants, Ukraine ranked 9th among 41 countries.
From Kyiv’s Courtyards to Global Heights
How Their Stories Began in Ukraine
Jan Koum was born in February 1976 on the outskirts of Kyiv. In the family of an electronics engineer there were no trendy computers, but there were radios that the boy would take apart and reassemble. In a school BASIC club he wrote his first programs to send text messages over a local network.
Leonid Radvinsky was born in the early 1970s in Odesa, near the famous Privoz Market. Together with his mother he sold souvenirs to tourists, calculating profit and bargaining for every dollar. These lessons in commerce and the ability to connect with people laid the foundation for his entrepreneurial drive.
Michael Polsky was born in 1947 in a rural area of the Kharkiv region. In his free time he built wind turbine models from bicycle spokes and tin cans, dreaming of an energy future. After technical college he worked at a power plant, where he first encountered the ideas of alternative energy.
Max Levchin was born in July 1975 in Kyiv into a family of historians. At school he became passionate about chess and the Pascal programming language. By organizing a “Young Programmer” club, Max not only deepened his algorithmic knowledge but also learned to share expertise and build teamwork.
In the Emigration Lab — A Step West
Each of them took the risk to leave their homeland and go to the United States with minimal resources:
Jan Koum arrived in 1992 with his mother and grandmother under a repatriation program. For the first years he worked as a cleaner and barista to pay for his studies at San Jose State University.
Leonid Radvinsky settled in Chicago on a humanitarian visa, graduated from Northwestern University, and began working in internet marketing.
Michael Polsky was invited as an energy specialist in 1976. With $500 in his pocket, he got a job as an electrician, and twenty years later founded his own company, Invenergy.
Max Levchin obtained political asylum in 1991, moved to Memphis, and by the end of the decade had co‑founded PayPal.
Breakthroughs and Achievements
WhatsApp by Jan Koum and Brian Acton amassed over 2 billion users in a few years, and its sale to Meta netted Koum over $16.9 billion.
OnlyFans by Leonid Radvinsky became a platform generating over $1.3 billion in annual revenue and awarded him personal dividends of over $1 billion.
Invenergy by Michael Polsky executed projects worth more than $7 billion, including wind and solar farms across America.
Affirm Holdings under Max Levchin’s leadership became a key player in fintech, and Levchin’s net worth is estimated at approximately $2.1 billion.
How They Stay Connected to Ukraine Today
Jan Koum supports several educational programs and grants for IT camps in Kyiv, aiming to inspire a new generation of programmers.
Leonid Radvinsky donated $5 million in 2022 to humanitarian aid for Ukraine, affected by military conflict.
Michael Polsky speaks at European energy conferences promoting green economy practices in Eastern Europe.
Max Levchin organizes student exchanges between Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and American universities, supporting young engineers.
On March 9, 2026, the Kremlin published a congratulatory message to the new Supreme Leader of Iran — Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei. In the message, Putin not only wished success. He called the events surrounding Iran ‘armed aggression,’ expressed Moscow’s ‘steadfast support,’ and promised that Russia would remain a ‘reliable partner’ of the Islamic Republic. This is no longer a routine diplomatic text. It is a political demonstration of solidarity with a regime that builds its power on war, repression, and the export of violence.
The election of Mojtaba Khamenei as the new Supreme Leader of Iran signaled not change, but the preservation of the old course. This is the son of the liquidated Ali Khamenei, who inherited not only the surname but the entire power vertical tied to forceful control, religious legitimation, and harsh suppression of dissent. There are no signs of softening here. On the contrary, the new figure must prove to the elite and security forces that the system remains the same.
The inheritance of power in Iran signaled: the course does not change
The appointment of the son of the slain Supreme Leader is not a story of ‘stability’ and not an attempt to open a new page. It is a demonstration of the regime’s continuity in the harshest form. The new Supreme Leader receives not only spiritual status but direct control over the army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and key levers of the state. For opposition-minded Iranians, this means more of a tightening of the screws than hope for reforms.
And it is precisely at this moment that the Kremlin does not come forward with a cautious formula, not with a call for de-escalation, and not with diplomatic neutrality, but with an actual political embrace of the new master of Iran. On paper, it looks like a congratulation. In essence, it is a public confirmation of an alliance. Moscow hastened to show that it supports not just the state of Iran, but precisely the current system of power, with its forceful logic and readiness to continue on the path of confrontation.
Why this looks not like protocol, but like one war regime congratulating another
When the Russian authorities, waging war against Ukraine, call the strikes on Iran ‘armed aggression’ and simultaneously promise ‘steadfast support’ to the new Supreme Leader of Tehran, it can no longer be perceived as an ordinary ceremonial. For Israel, for Ukraine, and for the entire region, it looks like another confirmation of the axis in which Moscow and Tehran have long been on the same side of the conflict.
One regime has made war the main tool of foreign policy. The other has built a system over many years where terror, intimidation, proxy structures, and military pressure have become part of the state model. Therefore, many have a straightforward reaction: one terrorist regime congratulated another on retaining power.
Formally, this is a letter from the head of state. But in essence, it is a political signal to the entire region. Moscow does not distance itself from Iran’s hard line. It binds itself even more closely to it. And the more openly this sounds today, the harder it will be later to portray Russia in the Middle Eastern crisis as an outside observer. This role for the Kremlin ended long ago.
What this means for Israel
For Israel, this story is important not only as an episode around the change of power in Tehran. It shows a broader picture: the Kremlin continues to integrate Israel into the general anti-Russian and anti-Western contour, where the Jewish state is increasingly presented as part of a hostile camp. Support for Iran at such a moment is not an accidental phrase and not a separate diplomatic gesture. It is an element of a consistent line that Moscow has been pursuing for a long time.
Against this backdrop, NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency notes a simple thing: the news of March 9, 2026, should be read not as a dry protocol message, but as a direct confirmation of a war alliance. It is more correct to formulate it this way: Moscow publicly blessed the continuation of the Iranian course after the change of supreme power.
And so, it is not just about a letter, not about a ceremony, and not about diplomacy. It is about an alliance of two regimes for which violence, fear, and war have long become the habitual language of politics.
In the ongoing war conditions, the Israeli education system is trying to find a balance between safety and the need to return children to school. On March 9, Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch presented local administration leaders with a plan for the gradual resumption of classes in schools and kindergartens.
This is not about a full opening of the education system, but a flexible model that will depend on the threat level in specific areas of the country. The main factor will be the safety assessment by the IDF Home Front Command, which determines the risk level of rocket attacks in different regions.
How the new school opening model will work
Safety zones and the role of local authorities
According to the presented plan, the decision to return students to schools and preschools will be made taking into account the so-called safety zones. In areas that the Home Front Command classifies as a ‘yellow zone,’ where the risk of attacks is considered minimal, a gradual resumption of classes is possible.
However, for the opening of schools and kindergartens, a mandatory condition will be the presence of fortified rooms or shelters where children can quickly move in case of an air raid alert. This requirement remains a key element of the entire program.
At the same time, the final decision on the format of education will be made by the local administration. Municipality leaders will be able to independently determine the timing of the opening of educational institutions, as well as the form of conducting classes — in-person or combined.
The Minister of Education emphasized that in the coming days, education will continue remotely via the Zoom platform. In those areas where a return to in-person format is planned, parents will receive notification at least 24 hours in advance.
Parents are not obliged to send children to schools
Flexible attendance rules
One of the important points of the program was the decision not to oblige parents to send children to schools and kindergartens. In wartime conditions, families will be able to independently assess the level of risk and decide on attending classes.
Missed school days will not be considered a violation and will not affect the educational status of students.
However, even with such flexibility, there remain a number of practical problems. One of the main ones is the shortage of staff for opening educational institutions.
According to Yoav Kisch, many teachers and caregivers themselves are mothers of young children and may face the same difficulties as other parents. In this regard, the minister called on municipal authorities to show understanding and flexibility in forming work schedules.
In the middle of the discussion on this topic, NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency notes that the Israeli education system in wartime conditions is forced to operate in a mode of constant adaptation. Decisions are made almost daily, as the safety of children remains an absolute priority.
The problem of school transportation remains unresolved
Special difficulties for families without cars
One of the most complex problems remains the organization of school transportation. Currently, the transportation of children by school buses is not allowed even for the special education system — the so-called ‘hinukh miyuhad.’
This means that parents have to independently take children to educational institutions. For families without a car, the situation becomes especially difficult.
The Minister of Education promised to find a solution to this problem, but no specific mechanisms have been presented yet.
The proposed plan was also met with skepticism by the Center for Local Government in Israel. Representatives of municipalities confirmed that school transportation will not be resumed yet, as authorities do not want to take on additional risks.
According to them, the return of children to school should occur cautiously and gradually, taking into account the real situation in each city and town. Municipality leaders believe that local authorities best understand the level of threat and the possibilities for protecting the population.
The day before, Yoav Kisch also stated in an interview with the radio station ‘Reshet Bet’ that the full return of children to schools may take time. He referred to the assessments of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, according to which the active phase of the war may continue for several more weeks.
As a result, the proposed plan currently rather demonstrates the education system’s readiness to respond to the crisis than offers a final solution to all problems. In the ongoing war conditions, the Israeli education system is forced to act cautiously, step by step returning children to the educational process.
A military historian mocked Putin’s attempts to escape punishment for his atrocities while hiding in a bunker.
No bunker can save a dictator who has been “sentenced” to elimination, as was the case with Khamenei, reported Grigory Tamar. If it is decided that Putin’s “song” is “sung,” then he will also not be able to escape “justice.”
In his opinion on whether a bunker will help Putin avoid the fate of other dictators, the Israeli expert shared in his interview with Anastasia Fedor on YouTube. “This is not a game – this is war, and there are no compromises here, and regarding where Putin has gone, I will answer you. What did we start with? That Putin is a pathological coward. He does not go to the front lines like Zelensky to be with his army, with his people. He mostly sits in a bunker, as we know,” said the reserve captain of the Israeli army.
“Putin is a ‘bunker dweller’ with experience, and suddenly his colleague, who also sat in a bunker in Tehran, got hit in the bunker. Israel launched fifty planes, a hundred munitions, and only a ‘pile of ashes’ remained of the bunker. Can you imagine what a stress this is for Putin? He is no longer a young man. He needs to stabilize his blood pressure, even out his breathing. Now his doctors will ‘adjust’ him a little, and he will again be telling from the bunker about how Ukraine was preparing an attack on Russia four years ago,” added Tamar.
The military historian also explained how to stop Putin: “Russia’s desire to inflict maximum damage on Ukraine is not related to events anywhere. It is a maniacal desire. It’s like a maniac decided to kill a victim, and we say: ‘If it rains and the weather is bad, will he kill her or not?’ He will kill the victim. Only one thing can stop him: if the victim pulls a gun from their pocket and ‘puts’ a bullet in his forehead. That can stop the maniac, or if a policeman arrives and stops him at the crime scene during an attempted murder.”
In addition, Tamar “laid out” the US and Israel operation against Iran. It is important to understand that such statements can have serious consequences for international politics and security in the region. In this context, it is worth monitoring the development of events, as they may affect the situation in Israel and its relations with neighboring countries. Israel News | Nikk.Agency
There are problems that people try to “endure” for a long time. Hair on the brush. Scalp itch. The feeling that the ponytail has become thinner. The parting has widened. And also — the eternal “maybe it’s seasonal.” In Israel, this sounds especially familiar: heat, sun, humidity, stress, abrupt changes in care and water — all this affects the scalp and follicles.
Therefore, many at some point stop googling another “shampoo for everything” and look for a place where they first deal with the cause, and only then offer a plan. In Haifa, such an address for many becomes the “Abramsky” Hair Health Center — the Russian-language main page is here: https://hair-health-center.nikk.co.il/ru/
Why “just hair loss” often turns out to be a system of causes
The most common pain is the feeling of losing control. Yesterday everything was fine, and today hair remains in the shower drain, on the pillow, on clothes. People start taking typical steps: changing shampoos, buying vitamins, trying masks, canceling coloring, enduring itching. Sometimes it gets easier, but often — not for long.
The problem is that hair loss and thinning often go hand in hand with scalp irritation: inflammation, increased oiliness, dryness, flaking. And until the scalp is put in order, any “length remedies” only provide a cosmetic effect.
The pains that people most often come with — and what is done about them
1) “Hair falls out a lot, especially after stress/illness/childbirth” This is a story where a person tries to understand: is it temporary, or is the process becoming entrenched. The center focuses on diagnosing the scalp and follicle condition — to separate “waves” of hair loss from situations where intervention is needed.
2) “Itching, burning, discomfort — and it seems that the scalp is living its own life” This is not a symptom that should be suppressed by endlessly changing shampoos. When itching is associated with inflammation or imbalance of the scalp, it is more important to understand the trigger and calm the hair growth environment. Material on the topic (for those who want to delve deeper): https://hair-health-center.nikk.co.il/ru/zud-vospalenie-i-diskomfort/
3) “The parting is widening, the hair has become thin and brittle” Brittleness rarely appears in one day. More often it is an accumulation of factors: heat styling, coloring, sun, humidity, stress, sometimes — internal causes. In such cases, the plan is usually built to work simultaneously with the scalp and the quality of the hair along the length.
By the way, NANews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency often writes about how “small” symptoms in Israeli reality quickly turn into a permanent problem if delayed — with hair, it works exactly the same.
How the center builds its approach: fewer promises — more stages
In Haifa, Check-Post: “Abramsky” Hair Health Center — scalp diagnostics, help with hair loss, alopecia, itching, and thinning. Schedule: Sun–Thu 9:00–19:00, Fri/holiday eve 9:00–14:00. 055-939-7729.
People are not irritated by the procedures themselves. It’s the chaos that irritates. When there is no understanding: what is happening, why, how long it will take, and how to assess progress.
Abramsky’s logic is clear: first diagnosis, then individual protocol, then dynamics — and adjustments based on the reaction of the scalp and hair. Not “the same for everyone,” but tailored to the specific picture.
If you want to follow updates, analysis of typical cases, and short explanations — the center maintains a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583975616191 (it’s convenient to view publications and news there, especially for the Russian-speaking audience).
Geography: who finds it convenient to get there
The center is located in Haifa, in the Check-Post area — a place that is easy to reach for city residents and those coming from Kiryat, Nesher, Tirat Carmel, and the entire North.
Address: שד’ ההסתדרות 44, צ’ק פוסט, חיפה. If you need a map/route immediately on your phone, use the Google link: https://share.google/ZQvv9ENHX3H1rWwqh
Schedule and contact
Schedule, which is important to know in advance, so as not to travel “in vain”:
Sun–Thu: 9:00–19:00
Fri and pre-holiday days: 9:00–14:00
Phone for appointments/inquiries: 055-939-7729.
If you want “quick answers” without unnecessary noise
Sometimes it’s easier for a person to watch a short video than to read long explanations. For this, there is the center’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@HairHealthHaifa — there you can gather a basic understanding of what is considered normal and what is a reason for diagnosis.
For those who are used to receiving news briefly and to the point, there is also X (Twitter): https://x.com/HairHealthHaifa — convenient when you need literally 2–3 thoughts without “sheets.”
What can be done today while you are thinking about a visit
Without magic and without “guarantees”:
stop endlessly changing shampoos “at random” every 5 days;
do not scratch the scalp “to blood” and do not exacerbate irritation with scrubs/alcohol-based products;
record: when it started, what changed (stress, illness, coloring, diet, medications);
and come for a diagnosis, so as not to guess.
Because the most expensive mistake with hair problems is not the cost of the procedure. The most expensive mistake is lost months in the “it will pass by itself” mode.
Israeli intelligence has long become part of a global political myth. Mossad is spoken of as an almost abstract force — without faces, without biographies, without a past. However, any institution has a human dimension. If you look closely at the history of Mossad’s leadership, especially in the second half of the 20th — early 21st century, it becomes clear: the key stages of the formation and strengthening of Israeli intelligence are connected with people whose roots go back to Ukraine.
This is not about the influence of states or external control. It’s about people shaped by the experience of Jewish life in Odessa, Kharkiv, Kherson — cities where security was never guaranteed, and the ability to survive became part of everyday culture. This experience was in demand at a time when the young state of Israel needed not just intelligence, but a survival system. This was noted by Valery Boyanju in “Odessa Life”.
Ukrainian Jewish Reality as a Factor of Thinking
Jews from Ukraine: how immigrants from Ukraine shaped “Mossad” – the Ukrainian trace in Israeli intelligence
Jewish Ukraine at the end of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century was a space of constant risk. Pogroms, revolutions, changes of empires, the Civil War, Stalinist repressions, Nazi occupation — all these are not abstract chapters of textbooks, but personal memories of thousands of families. For these people, the state was rarely a source of protection. More often — a source of threat or, at best, indifference.
It was in such an environment that a type of thinking was formed, based on three principles: not trusting declarations, verifying reality, and acting in advance. This approach later became one of the unspoken foundations of the Israeli security system.
Mossad as a Product Not Only of the State but Also of the Diaspora
Officially, Mossad was created in 1949, after the declaration of Israel’s independence. At an early stage, it was a compact structure with limited resources. However, it quickly began to rely on people with experience in underground struggle, military intelligence, and living under constant threat.
Immigrants from Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, fit organically into this logic. They did not perceive security as something given. For them, it was always a process, not a state.
Meir Amit (1963–1968): Kharkiv Roots and Systemic Transformation
Meir Amit (Hebrew: מאיר עמית, born Meir Haimovich Slutsky) led Mossad from 1963–1968, during a period when Israeli intelligence was transitioning from the stage of formation to the stage of institutional maturity. Although Amit was born in Israel, his parents came from Kharkiv — one of the largest Jewish intellectual centers in Eastern Europe.
In English biographies, it is consistently mentioned that he was a cousin of the poet Boris Slutsky, and Slutsky himself grew up/was formed in Kharkiv (this is about the poet).
This background was reflected in his management style. Amit was opposed to improvisation for the sake of heroism. He insisted on analytics, data structuring, and strategic planning. It was under him that Mossad became not just a set of operations, but part of a unified architecture of national security.
During his leadership, intelligence played a key role in preparing for the Six-Day War. After leaving his post, Amit did not disappear from public life: he became a member of the Knesset, participated in economic and technological projects, including telecommunications and the defense industry. This highlights an important detail: for this generation, intelligence was not an isolated profession, but part of the general state thinking.
Yitzhak Hofi (1974–1982): Odessa Pragmatism in an Era of Crisis
Yitzhak Hofi (Hebrew: יצחק חופי, born Yitzhak Poberesky) led Mossad from 1974–1982 — one of the most challenging periods in Israel’s history. His leadership came after the Yom Kippur War, the rise of international terrorism, and the strengthening of threats beyond the Middle East.
Hofi was born in Mandatory Palestine, but his parents emigrated from Odessa. The Odessa Jewish environment always combined irony, caution, and harsh realism. This cultural code was reflected in his management style.
Hofi avoided publicity and believed that the best operation is the one that neither journalists nor politicians know about. Under him, Mossad significantly expanded its international agent networks and strengthened its ability to operate beyond the region, including in Europe and other continents.
Meir Dagan (2002–2011): Kherson, the Holocaust, and the Rejection of Illusions
The most famous figure with Ukrainian roots was Meir Dagan (born Huberman, in another transcription Huberman), who led Mossad from 2002–2011. He was born in Kherson in 1945 to a family that survived the Nazi occupation. (in some sources, 1947 is indicated; Odessa is also named as Dagan’s place of birth).
His grandfather was killed during the Holocaust, and this family tragedy became part of his worldview.
Dagan came to intelligence from the army, went through key Israeli wars, and formed a reputation as a person who does not believe in the “goodwill” of the enemy. In his office, a photograph of a deceased relative was kept for many years — not as a symbol of revenge, but as a reminder of the price of strategic mistakes.
Under Dagan, Mossad focused on preventive actions against strategic threats, including the nuclear programs of Israel’s adversaries. He consistently opposed the illusions of diplomatic appeasement and believed that intelligence must prevent threats before they become the subject of public discussions.
Behind the tough image was a person with unexpected interests. Dagan was fond of painting and sculpture, was a vegetarian, and valued unconventional thinking. This combination of internal reflection and strategic toughness made him one of the most controversial figures in the history of Israeli intelligence.
Common Denominator: Experience of Instability
What unites these people is not geography per se, but the experience of living in conditions of instability, characteristic of Jewish Ukraine. This experience formed several key principles that later became the foundation of Israeli intelligence culture:
absolute distrust of declarations without confirmation;
willingness to act in conditions of uncertainty;
understanding that the weakness of the state is always perceived as an invitation to aggression;
orientation towards long-term survival, not short-term political comfort.
Myths Around the “Ukrainian Trace”
In recent years, the topic of the Ukrainian roots of Mossad leaders is often used for propaganda purposes. This is a distortion of reality. Mossad has always been and remains an instrument of the Israeli state, subject to its laws and political leadership.
The Ukrainian roots of its leaders are part of the history of the Jewish diaspora, just like the Polish, Lithuanian, German, or Iraqi. Attempts to turn this fact into a political sensation only simplify the complex and tragic history of the 20th century.
Why This Matters Today
Against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the protracted conflict around Israel, the historical context takes on new significance. Ukrainian Jews are not a “bridge of influence” or a political tool. They are part of the common historical fabric, in which the destinies of Ukraine, Israel, and the Jewish people are intertwined.
Understanding this allows for a better view of the logic of Israeli security — a logic formed not by abstract doctrines, but by real experiences of loss, flight, and survival.
Instead of a Final Point
The history of Mossad is the history of specific people who brought not only professional skills but also personal memories of what happens when security is underestimated. The Ukrainian Jewish trace in this history is not a sensation and not an argument in political disputes.
It is a reminder that from Odessa, Kharkiv, and Kherson, the path sometimes led not only to emigration but also to the very heart of the system responsible for the survival of the state.
Thousands of forgotten Jewish cemeteries are scattered across Ukraine — from Lviv to Odessa, from Podolia to Transcarpathia. On their matzevot — ancient tombstones with inscriptions in Hebrew — one can still read the names of rabbis, craftsmen, women, and children whose lives ended in the last century. These stones are the last witnesses of an entire world that disappeared in the whirlwind of history.
Today, this world is beginning to be restored: researchers, students, volunteers, international funds. Ukraine is gradually reclaiming its Jewish memory — cleaning matzevot, erecting fences, deciphering inscriptions, learning to read the language of stone.
The impetus for a new wave of attention was an event in the Khmelnytskyi region — a seminar of the European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative (ESJF), held on October 21, 2025, at the Jewish cemetery in the town of Horodok. This is where our story begins about how history, which cannot be erased, is being revived.
Unique Seminar in Horodok
On October 21, 2025, in the town of Horodok, Khmelnytskyi region, a unique seminar was held on the territory of the local Jewish cemetery. The organizer was the European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative (ESJF) — European Initiative for the Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries, with the support of the German Foreign Ministry.
The event was conducted by researcher Yevhen Levinzon, a well-known specialist in Jewish epigraphy.
The seminar was attended by museum staff, local historians, students of the International Certification Program in Judaica, journalists, and local residents. They studied the inscriptions on matzevot — stone tombstones that tell the stories of people who lived here three hundred or more years ago.
Horodok became a symbol of a new wave of interest in Ukraine’s Jewish heritage. Here, as in many towns of Podolia, there was a large Jewish community before the war, founded back in the 17th century. According to Yad Vashem, in 1939, more than 2,500 Jews lived in Horodok — almost a third of the population. After the Holocaust, the community disappeared, and the cemetery remained the only witness to this history.
The seminar was accompanied by presentations of ESJF projects, including the International Jewish Cemetery Research Competition, which takes place in the fall of 2025. The organization reminded that in 2024, a new protective fence was installed here in Horodok, funded by Germany as part of a pan-European program for the preservation of Jewish necropolises.
The Scale of Jewish Cemeteries in Ukraine
Modern research records from 1,000 to 1,500 Jewish cemeteries and mass burial sites in Ukraine.
According to ESJF, by 2024, 4,140 Jewish cemeteries were surveyed in just 10 Eastern European countries, about 1,500 of which are in Ukraine.
The Jewish Heritage Guide confirms: in Lviv, Ternopil, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions alone — over 500 sites.
As early as 2005, the “Lo Tishkach” report recorded 731 cemeteries and 495 mass burial sites.
The highest concentration is in the western regions: Galicia, Volhynia, Podolia, Bukovina, Transcarpathia.
In the central and eastern regions (Poltava, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk), large urban necropolises of the 19th–20th centuries have been preserved.
The Largest Jewish Necropolises in Ukraine
Chernivtsi — one of the largest cemeteries in Eastern Europe (area 14 ha, about 50,000 burials). Founded in 1866, it is still in operation and has been state-protected since 1995. Here rest rabbis, professors of Chernivtsi University, poets, and public figures of Bukovina.
Lviv — New Jewish necropolis on Zolochivska Street (founded in 1855). Despite the destruction of World War II and the Soviet period, some tombstones — especially from the 18th–19th centuries — have been preserved.
Kyiv — Lukyanivka Jewish Cemetery, opened in 1866. There are memorial sections dedicated to Babi Yar. Many burials have been studied as part of the “Jewish Memory Map” project.
Odessa — New Jewish Cemetery, founded in 1885, became the largest in the south of the country. Here are the graves of Rabbi Yakov Leibovich, actor Beni Krik, the Schwartzman and Brodsky families.
Drohobych — 18th–19th-century cemetery, where matzevot with rare baroque motifs and inscriptions in Hebrew and German were discovered. Some monuments were restored with the support of ESJF and volunteers from Poland and Israel.
Horodok (Khmelnytskyi region) — the cemetery is known for its unique 17th–19th-century tombstones made of Podolian limestone. Symbols of Kohanim (hands in blessing), Levites (pitchers), carved images of birds, and wreaths are found here. In 2024, ESJF installed a metal fence and an information stand with a QR code leading to a map of the cemetery. Today, Horodok is considered a training ground for students of the Judaica program and local historians of Podolia.
Matzeva: The Language of Stone and Codes of Memory
Matzeva (Heb. מצבה) — a traditional Jewish tombstone, a “stone of memory,” installed on a grave shortly after burial.
Materials and Forms
limestone, sandstone, less often granite or marble;
usually a vertical rectangular slab, sometimes with an arch or rounded top;
height — from 60 cm to 1.5 m; in the 18th century, Galician matzevot could be carved in the form of a portal or gate.
Language and Inscriptions
inscriptions — in Hebrew, Aramaic, later German, Polish, Russian;
the first lines — the abbreviation פ״נ (“Here lies”);
the concluding formula — תהא נשמתו צרורה בצרור החיים (“May his soul be bound in the bundle of life”).
Symbolism
Each drawing is a metaphor for the life of the deceased:
hands in blessing — Kohen;
pitcher with water — Levite;
candles — woman;
lion, deer, bird, tree — allegories of courage, sorrow, or valor.
In Galicia and Podolia, there are complete narrative compositions with animals, musical instruments, and Torah.
Classification
Archaic (16th–17th centuries) — simple slabs without ornamentation.
Galician and Podolian (19th century) — clear iconography, family signs.
Soviet period (20th century) — geometric shapes, sometimes portraits.
History of Studying Matzevot and Jewish Necropolises
Interest in Jewish epigraphy in Ukraine arose as early as the 19th century.
In the 1840s, Rabbi Ber Meir Shik published the first decipherments of inscriptions in Transcarpathia.
At the end of the 19th century, researcher Shimon Dubnov included descriptions of Jewish cemeteries in his “History of the Jewish People in Russia and Poland.”
After the Holocaust, interest in the Soviet Union was almost lost.
Revival began in the 1990s:
in 1993, the Society for the Protection of Jewish Monuments “Memorial” was established in Kyiv;
in 1996, the first digital catalog of tombstones of the Brody cemetery appeared;
since 2015, ESJF has been conducting systematic surveys of Jewish necropolises in Ukraine using drones and 3D models.
Modern academic centers (A. Krymsky Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Judaica Center in Kyiv and Lviv) offer courses in epigraphy, archaeology, and field research.
It is the students of these programs who participate in today’s seminars like the one held in Horodok.
International Initiatives and Education
ESJF works in partnership with the European Union, the German Foreign Policy Fund, and Ukrainian museums.
By 2024, the organization built more than 300 fences and registered the coordinates of all Jewish cemeteries in the country in an open database.
The International Interdisciplinary Certification Program in Judaica (Kyiv, A. Krymsky Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine) prepares young researchers and teachers to work with Jewish heritage.
The course includes Hebrew, Yiddish, the history of Jews in Ukraine, epigraphy, and museum practice.
The International Jewish Cemetery Research Competition, announced in 2025, accepts submissions until December 1 in nine European countries. Winners will be invited to the Jewish Heritage Festival in Prague in the spring of 2026.
Conclusion
The seminar in Horodok is not a one-time event but part of a large movement to restore Jewish memory in Ukraine. Matzevot, carved in stone in the 18th century, are being read today by young researchers; cemeteries, where oblivion reigned for decades, are becoming open-air museums.
Ukraine is reclaiming the forgotten voice of Jewish heritage — and it is through projects like ESJF and the Horodok seminar that this heritage is gaining a second life.
Support from the State of Ukraine and Local Authorities
Ukrainian state policy and local self-government bodies are increasingly involved in the protection of Jewish cemeteries and matzevot — this direction is gradually becoming part of the state memory policy. The issue was first legally established back in 1998 when the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a decree prohibiting construction and privatization on the territories of former and existing Jewish cemeteries. This document was an important step in protecting necropolises from destruction and commercial development.
The Law of Ukraine “On Burial and Funeral Affairs,” adopted in July 2003, obliged local self-government bodies to survey old burial sites, keep records, and ensure preservation. Cemeteries with historical or cultural value are subject to protection as objects of national heritage.
From 2021 to 2024, more than a hundred memorial steles were installed at Jewish cemeteries in Ukraine, and several hundred more sites received permits for restoration or fence installation.
These initiatives are implemented with the participation of the Ministry of Culture, the Institute of National Memory, local administrations, and international partners. In many cities of western Ukraine — Lviv, Sambir, Berezhany, Brody, Chortkiv — municipalities include Jewish cemeteries in urban improvement programs. Local historians, schoolchildren, volunteers, and representatives of Jewish communities participate in these projects. They clear the territory, install plaques and QR codes, and create routes “in the footsteps of Jewish history.”
Today, we can talk about a gradual transition from individual volunteer actions to a systematic model of interaction between the state, local authorities, and public organizations.
Step by step, Ukraine is creating a foundation for Jewish cemeteries to become not places of oblivion but part of the national memory and respect for the history of all peoples who lived on its land.
Russian propaganda actively promotes the same idea: allegedly Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the conflict around Iran are ‘identical wars.’ The logic of this thesis is simple. If you support Ukraine, then you should support Iran as well. If not, then you have ‘double standards.’
This narrative is actively spread by Russian propagandists on social networks, on television channels, and in international discussions, where Moscow tries to present itself as part of some global struggle against the ‘West.’ However, upon closer analysis, it becomes obvious: these two conflicts have fundamentally different natures — historical, political, and military.
Therefore, it is important to break down the arguments and explain why the attempt to equate these wars is manipulation.
Ukraine did not threaten Russia — Iran has been threatening Israel for decades
Ukraine did not pose a military threat to Russia. After the collapse of the USSR, Kyiv voluntarily gave up the third-largest nuclear arsenal in the world, destroyed strategic missiles, heavy bombers, and a significant part of its military infrastructure. This process was enshrined in international agreements and monitored by the international community.
To justify the invasion, Russian propaganda for years tried to create an image of a ‘threat’ from Ukraine. Various versions were used — from the story of ‘two Ukrainian BMPs’ allegedly invading Russian territory to myths about NATO biolabs and ‘combat mosquitoes.’ None of these accusations were ever confirmed.
The situation with Iran is fundamentally different. The Iranian regime has publicly declared the need to destroy Israel for decades, while simultaneously developing missile programs and nuclear technologies. These threats are not abstract statements — they are accompanied by the creation of infrastructure intended for strikes on neighboring states.
Difference in the nature of military actions
Ukraine did not wage an undeclared war against Russia. Before the full-scale invasion, there were no missile strikes on Russian cities, sabotage operations on Russian territory, or networks of proxy groups operating against Moscow.
Iran’s strategy, on the contrary, has been built on waging war by proxy for many years. Tehran supports armed structures in various countries in the region, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Shia formations in Iraq. These organizations regularly attack Israel and US allies in the Middle East.
The most tragic episode was the October 7 terrorist attack, which became the largest attack on Israel’s civilian population in decades. This was followed by direct attacks from Iran — including massive missile strikes on Israel in the spring and fall of 2024.
Territorial goals of Russia and the absence of such goals in the conflict with Iran
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has a clearly defined territorial goal. Moscow openly declares its intention to eliminate Ukrainian statehood and annex Ukrainian territories. Crimea, Donbas, and several other regions have already been declared part of its territory by Russia, even including them in the ‘Constitution.’
From the point of view of international law, such actions are considered illegal annexation. The international community almost unanimously recognizes these territories as part of Ukraine.
The conflict around Iran has a different nature. Neither Israel nor the United States claims Iranian territory or declares plans for its occupation. It is about neutralizing threats related to the missile and nuclear program of the ayatollah regime.
These differences in the goals and nature of the conflicts are regularly analyzed by NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency, noting that Moscow’s propaganda attempts to present the events as ‘the same war’ do not withstand even basic fact-checking.
International reaction and political systems
The difference between these conflicts is especially noticeable at the level of international reaction. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was condemned by the UN General Assembly with 141 states — this is one of the broadest international consensuses in recent decades.
Sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program were also adopted by the UN Security Council, initially almost unanimously. Even Middle Eastern countries, traditionally cautious in relations with Israel, in some cases helped repel Iranian missile attacks.
Finally, it is important to consider the political nature of the states. Ukraine is a democratic country where elections are held and political competition exists. Iran represents a theocratic system of power, where key decisions are made by religious leadership and security structures.
Human rights organizations regularly record the brutal suppression of protests in Iran — from mass arrests to torture and executions of demonstrators.
Why the propaganda comparison does not withstand fact-checking
Russian propaganda tries to reduce the complex international situation to a simple formula: ‘the strong attacked the weak.’ But in reality, the nature of these conflicts is fundamentally different.
In the case of Ukraine, it is about an invasion of the territory of a sovereign state with the aim of its occupation. In the case of Iran, it is about confronting a regime that has been threatening the destruction of Israel for decades and developing military infrastructure to realize these threats.
That is why attempts to equate these wars are not analysis but an element of information warfare.
The first chief architect of Tel Aviv – a city destined to become one of the most influential capitals in the world, was a native of Uman, Yehuda Magidovich, the son of Uman women’s hat designer Binyamin Zvi and Uman housewife named Rachel. When one of the founders of the State of Israel and its first prime minister David Ben-Gurion in 1925 organized a ceremonial reception for the most respected guest, Baron Rothschild – he did it in the Great Synagogue of Tel Aviv, built by a man from Uman…
In the section “Jews from Ukraine” – Yehuda Magidovich (January 21, 1886, Uman, Ukraine — January 5, 1961, Tel Aviv, Israel).
From Uman to the White City: The Story of Yehuda Magidovich
In the mid-19th century, the family of hatter Binyamin-Zvi Magidovich lived in Uman. His workshop smelled of steam, pressed felt and fresh ribbons — it was there, in 1886, that a boy named Leib was born, who later all of Tel Aviv knew as Yehuda Magidovich.
His mother, Rachel Sadovaya, was the keeper of the home, and his father was a master who made hats for both officials and young dandies. Studying in a cheder in a small town was the natural beginning for a Jewish boy of that time. But Leib, in addition to prayers and the Pentateuch, was drawn to drawings and unusual shapes. Years later, this passion would lead him in 1903 to Odessa.
Odessa years: brush, pencil and architecture
At the beginning of the 20th century, Odessa was a city where art and commerce mixed in the noisy port. Magidovich studied fine arts in Odessa, then in Kyiv, and then returned to Odessa to study architecture — essentially combining aesthetics with engineering calculation. By 1910 he already had a diploma and his first commissions. Yes, Yehuda Magidovich studied in Odessa, including at an art educational institution.
Most likely (there are no reliable sources of information about exactly where he studied), it was the Odessa Art School with an architectural department, where he received artistic training, and then probably continued his studies at the “Odessa Academy of Arts”, graduating around 1910. This is confirmed by both English- and Hebrew-language sources. In Odessa, he did not just draw facades. Magidovich designed houses that carried echoes of Italian villas and French resort mansions — adapted, of course, to the Odessa climate and local habits. In 1911 he married Atil, née Vogel, and the couple had two sons: Rafael Megiddo and Avshalom Megidovich.
But life in the city was restless. Pogroms, revolutionary rallies and street shootouts forced Jewish communities to self-organize. Magidovich did not stand aside — he took part in Jewish self-defense, and some sources even call him the district commander of one of these units.
1919: Odessa says goodbye
The Civil War was tearing the empire to pieces. In Odessa, families with bundles crowded near the port docks, waiting for permission to leave. Magidovich obtained a forged ID to leave the city, and in the autumn of 1919 he was among the passengers of the steamship “Ruslan”.
With a forged Odessa ID – to the shores of Palestine…
In the autumn of 1919, from Odessa to Palestine, on a journey that made him legendary, the ship “Ruslan” set sail with six hundred Jews on board. Modern Israelis call the “Ruslan” nothing less than “the Mayflower of Zionism, which opened the period of the Third Aliyah”. (The “Mayflower” was the ship that brought the first settlers from England to the shores of the USA). The name “Ruslan” became equally symbolic for Jews — although it was not the first since the beginning of the return of Jews to the Promised Land, its six hundred passengers were the elite of the future state, which was rising from the ashes…
Across the territory of the former Russian Empire, war was raging when in Odessa in all the port houses and even right on the bundles of belongings in the middle of the square, Jewish refugees had gathered. 170 of them were refugees from Safed and Tiberias – subjects of Great Britain, who wanted to return to their native Palestine. The British consul appealed to the Soviet Odessa authorities – and they gave permission to leave. But Odessa would not be Odessa if to those 170 foreigners they did not add another half thousand Jews from Ukraine, Poland and Russia.
They hastily studied the geography of Palestine so as not to “slip up” during the conversation in the Odessa Cheka, and as for the necessary languages — Hebrew and English — each of them already spoke them without extra training. In addition, Odessa professionals made each one a repatriate certificate (“teudat oleh”) with the stamp “Committee of Refugees from Eretz Israel for their return home”.
In the end, “Ruslan” was given the green light — on the journey to distant Palestine, the resident of Uman Yehuda Magidovich went together with future Israeli celebrities — historian Klausner, future editor of the famous newspaper “Haaretz” Glikson, poet Ratosh, doctor of medicine Yassky, artists Konstantinovsky, Frenkel, Navon and Litvinovsky, sculptor Ziffer, future Minister of Education Dinur, future Knesset member Rachel Cohen-Kagan, the mother of future Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin — Rosa Cohen…
This was not just a voyage — Israelis would later call it “the Mayflower of Zionism”. On board were about six hundred people: historians, artists, future politicians, poets. On December 19, 1919, “Ruslan” docked in Jaffa, and Magidovich, along with the others, set foot on the land that would become his new home.
Jews from Ukraine: from Uman to the White City. Yehuda Magidovich — first architect of Tel Aviv
The beginning in Tel Aviv: drawings from Odessa
He did not arrive empty-handed — in his luggage were hundreds of Odessa projects that he had managed to save from the archives. Most of these were plans for villas in the spirit of the Italian and French Riviera, reworked “in the Odessa style.”
Now they were to be transformed into houses on Montefiore Street, Nachlat Binyamin, and in new neighborhoods. Many of these mansions were built in Tel Aviv, reinterpreted already in a Jewish manner. In 1920, he was appointed the first chief architect of Tel Aviv. He was responsible for planning and approving projects, and at the same time designed himself — sometimes in eclecticism with elements of the Moorish style, sometimes in strict Art Deco.
He held this position until 1923, after which he opened his own office.
Friend of the mayor and bold projects
He had known Mayor Meir Dizengoff since the days of Uman. The friendship helped — not in terms of privileges, but in terms of boldness of decisions. Thus, “Galei Aviv Casino” — a building on stilts right above the water — became the city’s calling card. The creative bohemia gathered here, and even Winston Churchill visited. The casino survived the storm of 1936 but was demolished after Dizengoff’s death — during his lifetime the mayor “kept a hand” over his friend’s project. In 1923, Yehuda Magidovich opened his own architectural firm and began to build residential and administrative buildings in the city, which at that time were especially in demand in the young city. To this day, the construction company “Rafael Megido,” named after Magidovich’s son, is well known.
Magidovich worked in the Art Nouveau style — this is what the local version of the modern style is called in Israel. Many interesting buildings were destroyed, for example, the “Kovalkin House” in the Dizengoff Square area, and the casino — “an amazing, spacious, light building, in the spirit of people in high spirits.” But many, fortunately, have survived, including the Great Synagogue on Allenby, the “Levin House,” the “Nordau” hotel, the “Ben Nahum” hotel, and the “Beit Carousel” on Rothschild Boulevard. In the central part of the “Carousel House” there was a fireplace, and inside the windows was suspended a second row of colored stained glass windows.
They hung on rings, and when the air heated by the fire in the fireplace caused them to move slightly, the reflections of the fire played in the glass pieces of the stained glass, and then bright colored spots danced around the room — hence the name of the house. The “House with Columns” on Rambam Street is decorated with columns and arches — elements of the classical style. It was built in 1924 and is now included in the list of houses subject to restoration. The square where this building is located bears the name of Yehuda Magidovich.
The Levin House: terrorist attack and secret mechanism
In 1923, wealthy merchant Yaakov Levin commissioned Magidovich to build a mansion on Rothschild Boulevard. The architect designed a Tuscan villa with a tower whose roof could be retracted, opening a view of the starry sky during the Sukkot holiday. Over the years, the building housed a bank, a British school, the headquarters of the “Hagana,” and later the Soviet embassy. In 1953, fighters from “Etzel” and “Lehi” threw a grenade into the building — a protest against the antisemitic “Doctors’ Plot” in the USSR. People were injured, including the ambassador’s wife. Three days later, the USSR broke off diplomatic relations with Israel — until Stalin’s death.
In 1991, the Levin House, the work of the native of Uman, was declared “an object of special architectural value” and underwent an extremely expensive restoration — with the involvement of the best specialists and equipment specially brought from South Africa. When restorers worked on the tower, they discovered in its highest part a pile of old newspapers and an amazing mechanism, the purpose of which no one knew. They tried to set it in motion — and were shocked when the roof above their heads retracted: the mechanism, invented by the man from Uman, worked perfectly even after 70 years!
After the restoration, the Levin House housed exhibition halls and the office of the famous antique auction house Sotheby’s. In 2006, for 35 million shekels (comparable to the cost of the nearby “Beit Alrov” tower), the villa was purchased by Canadian billionaire Gerry Schwartz. The house, built by a native of Uman, still remains one of the main architectural gems of the capital’s tourist routes.
Architectural style
Over his career he designed more than 500 buildings. The Great Synagogue, villas with columns and domes, houses in Art Deco and in the International Style — all these are works by Magidovich. Even when moving toward modernism, he retained the habit of adding details — arches, small towers, decorative grilles — that referred to his European and Ukrainian experience.
Ukraine in memory and in works
After emigration, he could not return to Ukraine — the Soviet authorities did not allow such contacts. But in his projects one could always find echoes of the “Ukrainian period”: the proportions of the facades, planning techniques, decorative solutions. Israeli guidebooks invariably call him “a native of Uman.” In recent years Ukrainian local historians have also remembered him: publications were issued in the Cherkasy region, and in the Odesa museum in 2024 they even held a review of his Odesa years.
Final and legacy
In 1954, Magidovich suffered a stroke and stopped working. He died in 1961 in Tel Aviv and was buried in the Kiryat Shaul cemetery. He left behind not only buildings, but also an example of how a person from a provincial Ukrainian town can influence the appearance of one of the most famous cities in the world. He was survived by sons and descendants. The family house on Mogiliver Street, which was not included in the list of city heritage sites, was demolished in 2016, and a modern residential building was constructed on its ruins.
In 1993, architect Gilad Dovshni published an extensive book devoted to Magidovich’s work and his contribution to the development of Tel Aviv and Israel’s construction industry. In 2019, a memorial in his honor was installed on the pedestrian Nachalat Binyamin Street.
… The section “Jews from Ukraine” on NAnews — News of Israel tells about people whose roots are in Ukraine and whose contribution is in the history of the Jewish people and Israel. These are stories where Ukrainian experience and Israeli destiny are intertwined in one life path. The biography of Yehuda Magidovich is a vivid example of this connection, from Uman and Odessa to hundreds of buildings in the White City.
He was the vice-president of the Ukrainian Supreme Liberation Council (UHVR, chairman Roman Shukhevych), deputy Stepan Bandera in the OUN and at the same time he is a “Righteous Among the Nations”.
Vovk’s case among Ukrainian nationalists is not unique. Many members of the OUN during the Holocaust risked their lives to shelter Jews and forged documents, turning them into Ukrainians.
On July 12, 1998, Yad Vashem awarded Fedor Vovk and his wife Yelizaveta Shkandel the honorary title of “Righteous Among the Nations”. https://www.yadvashem.org/yv/pdf-drupal/ukraine.pdf (Vovk, Feodor & Shkandel, Yelizaveta, p. 39)
The detailed life story of Ivan Vovchuk, one of the leaders of the OUN and a Righteous, can soon be read in the book Oleg Protsenko “National Tribune. Life and Ideas of Ivan Vovchuk”. With the support of the Vovk Foundation, it is now being prepared for publication by the “Fronesis” publishing house. Many facts presented in the book will be published for the first time.
The Jerusalem Post: Righteous Among the Nations Ivan Vovchuk was Stepan Bandera’s deputy in the OUN and saved Jews. His story must be revealed – opinion
The nationalist-Righteous should be known by as many people as possible, not only in Ukraine but also abroad. This will help destroy the myth of Ukrainians as anti-Semites and further strengthen relations between Ukrainians and Jews.
“The leaders of Ukrainian nationalists embody the democratic and indomitable spirit of the Ukrainian people, who are fighting for their freedom today.”
“More than two years after Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainians are still fighting bravely.
Two years later, Russian President Putin is still spreading unfounded propaganda that my country, a country with a Jewish president and a thriving Jewish community, is a ‘Nazi state’.
There is no deeper symbol to counter this false portrayal than the recent completion of the Torah Scroll of Solidarity between Ukraine and Israel, with letters written by their presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Isaac Herzog. This scroll will become a motivating force for the Ukrainian and Jewish communities to unite, become closer than ever, to confront the old Soviet script and ensure the victory of freedom. But more needs to be done.
Putin has repeatedly promoted the absurdly false narrative that Ukraine needs to be “denazified,” claiming that Ukraine is a Nazi state led by Ukrainian nationalists aligned along neo-Nazi lines, thus justifying his unrestrained and unfounded war.
These claims are not new.
For decades, Russian authorities, formerly Soviet, have called the Ukrainian nationalist movement Nazi in an attempt to discredit Ukrainians who want to live in a free and democratic Ukraine.
They focused their efforts on the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, a political party founded in 1929 dedicated to creating an independent Ukrainian state. The OUN played a key role in the creation of the Ukrainian state and continues to play an increasingly important role in Ukrainian society today.
During World War II, there were instances of Ukrainian nationalists collaborating in crimes against Jews.
But these acts were rare and absolutely not official policy or a reflection of the OUN’s position.
Much of today’s “reporting” on the party’s alleged crimes during the Holocaust comes from KGB propaganda aimed at discrediting Ukrainian nationalists.
In fact, there were many instances where leaders of Ukrainian nationalists risked their lives to save Jews from the Nazis in Ukraine. And now, as Putin’s Russian propaganda spreads worldwide with the support of supporters like Tucker Carlson, it is most important for the Ukrainian and Jewish communities to unite to highlight their own stories and counter Russian myths about Ukrainians and Ukrainian nationalists.
The story of Ivan Vovchuk should be brought to public attention
The stories of these people should be brought to public attention. They embody the democratic and unwavering spirit of the Ukrainian people, who are fighting for their freedom today. And they emphasize the need to strengthen Ukrainian-Jewish relations and not allow Putin to resolve them.
One such Ukrainian was Ivan Vovchuk.
Vovchuk, a native of Nikopol and a leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, used his position to save Jewish families, including Sarah Bakst and her children, from Nazi terror.
His actions and those of his brave wife, Yelizaveta Shkandel, are poignant reminders of the shared history and mutual support between the Ukrainian and Jewish communities, refuting the vile narrative propagated by the Kremlin.
“Vovk” was recognized by Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, as a Righteous Among the Nations for his heroism.
His story is a beacon of humanity and courage, standing against the senseless Russian propaganda seeking to portray Ukraine as an anti-Semitic, Nazi state.
The current Russian propaganda campaign is not only historically inaccurate but also deeply offensive. It is an insult to the memory of the Holocaust victims and the courage of people like Vovk, who stood against real anti-Semitism and Nazism. And it is an insult to the modern Jewish community in Ukraine.
Unfortunately, this narrative has resonated with only a small part of American and European society.
“That’s why I am working with the Vovk Foundation on a new book that will detail the story of Ivan Vovchuk to debunk the fabricated lies spread by Putin and his opponents in the Western world.”
This book, using a range of unpublished primary sources and documents, will counter Putin’s condemnations of Ukrainians and Ukrainian nationalists like Ivan Vovchuk and bring the Ukrainian and Jewish communities closer together as the Russian war machine deliberately tries to create a chasm between them.
“The importance of uniting the Ukrainian and Jewish communities in the fight against aggression cannot be overstated. This alliance is a testament to our shared pursuit of justice and mutual respect. Our unity is a powerful force against the disinformation and hatred spread by our opponents.”
The struggle we are waging today is not only Ukraine’s struggle; it is a battle for the very soul of Europe and the principles of freedom and humanity that are essential for the entire world. Just as Vovk and others like him rose to the challenge of their time, we too must stand firm against the distortion of history and the malevolent intentions of Russian aggression.
“The international community, especially the West, must continue to support Ukraine, ensuring that the sacrifices made are recognized and that aspirations for a peaceful and just future are realized.”
