Zelensky Lights Hanukkah Candles with Ukrainian Rabbis Using Menorah from Argentina's Milei

Ukraine's president emphasized unity and resilience during a wartime celebration of Hanukkah and Christmas following a major Russian attack on the power grid.

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish, lit Hanukkah candles with 12 Chabad rabbis in Kyiv, marking the third wartime Hanukkah since Russia's invasion in 2022.
• The menorah used for the ceremony was a gift from Argentine President Javier Milei, presented to Zelensky during Milei's inauguration last year.
• Zelensky praised Ukraine's ability to celebrate religious diversity, noting the simultaneous observance of Hanukkah and Christmas, and highlighted the shared hope for victory and peace.
• The event followed a massive Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine's power grid, leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity in freezing temperatures.
• Zelensky and the rabbis expressed optimism that light would triumph over darkness, echoing the Hanukkah story, while U.S. President Joe Biden condemned Russia's attack and reaffirmed continued military aid to Ukraine.

4 Articles

The Forward Jewish Telegraphic Agency The Jerusalem Post Ukrinform