Torah Scroll Ceremony Unites and Revitalizes Kyiv’s Jewish Community

On September 22, Project Kesher Ukraine (PKU) held a Torah return ceremony in Kyiv, marking the first time, to our knowledge, a Torah has been sent to Ukraine since the escalation of the war in 2022. The scroll from synagogue B’nai Jacob in Ottumwa, Iowa, was given to Hillel Kyiv, the Jewish student cultural center, where it will help renew a sense of faith, hope and tradition among young Jews.

Leading the ceremony was Ukrainian-born Israeli citizen Rabbi Miriam Jano, who read a Torah passage on women’s leadership and highlighted the role of women in Jewish ritual. She also led prayers for those who have lost their lives in the wars in Ukraine and Israel.

Around 50 guests were in attendance, including representatives from the JDC, Jewish Agency, Masorti Community, AJT Youth Program, as well as the former Ukrainian Ambassador to Austria, officials from Kyiv City administration, and the Head of the Religious Affairs Department of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience.