9.6 Israel Saves Ukranian Orphans

Russia has invaded Ukraine.  It has a much larger military than Ukraine does but the Ukrainians have fought back.  Many women and children have fled Ukraine, while their husbands have stayed to fight for their country knowing that they may never see their families again.  Many countries are helping provide food and shelter the Ukranians who have managed to leave and many are sending weapons to help the Ukranians.  It is dangerous to send weapons and food to the Ukranians because that helps the Ukranians against the Russians and the Russians have threatened to attack anyone who helps the Ukranians.

Israel has a law of return in which anyone who is Jewish can escape to Israel and become a citizen.  Israel, although a very small country, is taking care of many Jewish and non-Jewish Ukranians.

There is a Jewish organization called Chabad whose members go all over the world to help Jews in need.  The members who do that are called shluchim.  One of the Shluchim's names is Rabbi Gopin.  He went with his entire family to help Ukranian orphans.  You can see a picture of him below.

One of the places shluchim went to is Ukraine where they took care of Jewish orphans.  When Russia attacked they tried to get the orphans out to safety.  The video below shows us children in one of the orphanages.  In the beginning of the video a woman says in Hebrew to a child, "What a cute boy you are."

Somehow Israel and Chabad did manage to get many Ukranian Jewish orphans out of Ukraine.  First they moved the children to Moldova, and from there to Romania and from there to Israel.  The Israel airline El Al flew them from Romania to Israel.  In the video below the orphans are being welcomed as they get off the Israeli plane that flew them to safety in and their new home, Israel.  The song that is playing is Heveinu Shalom Alechem, which means "We have brought peace to you".  The man greeting the children at the bottom of the stairs from the plane is Naftali Bennett, prime minister of Israel.  He said "Bruchim Habaim" which means "Blessed are those who come" and is the Israeli way of saying "welcome".  After that they played another Jewish song, Hava Nagila, which means "lets rejoice".

Rabbi Shalom Gopin, wrote in his diary that:

"I am worried about the numerous families who are sitting in shelters right now. I am worried about my fellow Shluchim who remained in Kyiv and have not been able to leave and now are afraid to do so. I am afraid of the additional shells the oppressor is likely to send over the city."

Lesson List

Back to Home Page