Ukraine is home to four Moishe Houses (Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Odesa), seven Moishe House Without Walls (MHWOW) hosts and two full-time MH staff members. We are in constant touch with our community builders and staff and — their safety is our highest priority. Since 2011, Moishe House has been building Jewish life for young adults through leadership development, leadership and learning. It is heartbreaking to see the damage ripping through the country. This resource includes:
- Short texts and a movie suggestion to learn and discuss what solidarity means in Jewish tradition
- Prayers and songs you might want to add to your event
- Relevant Tikkun Olam actions you could take with your community
Guiding questions:
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How do you define solidarity? What does it mean to stand in solidarity?
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What are the strengths and limitations of solidarity?
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What is a structure/resource already available you could use to support the Ukrainian people?
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What could the space of your Moishe House be mobilized for? How could your community members mobilize with the current resources they have (skills, time, network, etc.)?
הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה.
He [Rabbi Tarfon] used to say: It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it
תַּנְיָא אִידַּךְ: בִּזְמַן שֶׁהַצִּבּוּר שָׁרוּי בְּצַעַר, אַל יֹאמַר אָדָם: אֵלֵךְ לְבֵיתִי, וְאוֹכַל וְאֶשְׁתֶּה, וְשָׁלוֹם עָלַיִךְ נַפְשִׁי.
A similar idea is taught in another baraita: When the community is immersed in suffering, a person may not say: I will go to my home and I will eat and drink, and peace be upon you, my soul.
רב ורבי חנינא ור' יוחנן ורב חביבא מתנו (...) כל מי שאפשר למחות לאנשי ביתו ולא מיחה נתפס על אנשי ביתו באנשי עירו נתפס על אנשי עירו בכל העולם כולו נתפס על כל העולם כולו
It was related that Rav, and Rabbi Ḥanina, and Rabbi Yoḥanan, and Rav Ḥaviva taught the statement cited below. (...) Anyone who had the capability to effectively protest the conduct of the members of his household and did not protest, he himself is apprehended for the sins of the members of his household and punished. If he is in a position to protest the conduct of the people of his town, and he fails to do so, he is apprehended for the sins of the people of his town. If he is in a position to protest the conduct of the whole world, and he fails to do so, he is apprehended for the sins of the whole world.
The movie Everything Is Illuminated (2005): a road movie through Ukraine and its Jewish life, with awesome music
"A young Jewish American man, with the help of an eccentric local, endeavors to find the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II in a Ukrainian village that was ultimately razed by the Nazis."
PRAY & SING
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶֽיךָ ה' אֱלֹקֵינוּ וֵאלֹקֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ וְאִמּוֹתֵֽינוּ שֶׁתְּבַטֵּל מִלְחָמוֹת וּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים מִן הָעוֹלָם וְתָמְשִׁיךְ שָׁלוֹם גָּדוֹל וְנִפְלָא בָּעוֹלָם, וְלֹא־יִשָּׂא גוֹי אֶל־גּוֹי חֶֽרֶב וְלֹא־יִלְמְדוּ עוֹד מִלְחָמָה. (ישעיה ב:ד)
רַק יַכִּֽירוּ וְיֵדְעוּ כׇּל־יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל הָאֱמֶת לַאֲמִתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר לֹא בָֽאנוּ לָזֶה הָעוֹלָם בִּשְׁבִיל רִיב וּמַחֲלֹֽקֶת וְלֹא בִּשְׁבִיל שִׂנְאָה וְקִנְאָה וְקִנְתּוּר וּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים. רַק בָּֽאנוּ לָעוֹלָם כְּדֵי לְהַכִּיר אוֹתְךָ, תִּתְבָּרַךְ לָנֶֽצַח.
וּבְכֵן תְּרַחֵם עָלֵֽינוּ וִיקֻיַּם בָּֽנוּ מִקְרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב׃
וְנָתַתִּֽי שָׁלוֹם בָּאָֽרֶץ וּשְׁכַבְתֶּם וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד (ויקרע כו:ו) וְהִשְׁבַּתִּֽי חַיָּה רָעָה מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ וְחֶֽרֶב לֹא־תַעֲבֹר בְּאַרְצְכֶם. (אמוס ה:כד)
וְיִגַּל כַּמַּֽיִם מִשְׁפָּט, וּצְדָקָה כְּנַֽחַל אֵיתָן.
כִּי־מָלְאָה הָאָֽרֶץ דֵּעָה אֶת־ה' כַּמַּֽיִם לַיָּם מְכַסִּים׃ (ישעיה יא:ט)
Prayer for Peace, Siddur Sim Shalom
May it be your will God our elo’ah, and elo’ah of our forefathers and foremothers, That we see the day when war and bloodshed cease from the work, when a great peace and wonder will embrace the whole world. Then nation will not threaten nation, and the human family will not again know war.(Isaiah 2,4)
Rather, let all who live on Earth recognize and know the truth in its truest sense, that we haven’t come into this world for fighting and controversy, nor for hatred, envy, provocation or bloodshed, rather we have come into the world in order to know You, may You be eternally blessed.
Compassionate God, bless the leaders of all nations with the power of compassion. Fulfill the promise conveyed in Scripture:
“I will bring peace to the land, and you shall lie down and no one shall terrify you.” (Lev. 26, 6)
“I will rid the land of vicious beasts and it shall not be ravaged by war.” (Amos 5, 24)
“Let justice and righteousness flow like a mighty stream. Let God’s peace fill the earth as the waters fill the sea.” (Isaiah 11, 9)
Prayer for Ukraine, By Joanne Fink
Holy One, Source of Strength,
War has begun, and innocent people are dying.
We ask Your protection for Ukraine and its citizens.
We pray for their safety and the security of the country,
and for the neighboring countries—Hungary, Poland, and Rumania, among others—
that have opened their borders to provide humanitarian corridors
and safe passage for all those who wish to evacuate.
We seek the comfort of believing that everything will be all right,
even in the face of insurmountable odds.
Quiet the fears that threaten to deafen us; grant us Shleimut—
the inner peace we so desperately seek. Help us remain calm and reach out to those in need.
May this horrific situation be diffused swiftly with minimal casualties.
Bless our world leaders with the ability to work together for the greater good,
and the wisdom to make wise decisions during this turbulent time.
Bless the people of all nations with the desire, strength and courage
to create a world based on justice and filled with peace.
May the words of Isaiah 2:4:
“Nation shall not lift up sword against nation;
neither shall they learn war anymore”
become true in our day—in this very hour.
Source of Goodness, shine Your healing light on us
and all those in the Ukraine we hold in our hearts.
Shelter us, shield us, show us the path to peace.
May we each be inspired to use our unique gifts to usher in an era of enduring peace.
And let us say: Amen.
You probably know the song Oseh Shalom - do you also know this cool tune?
עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ
וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל כָל יושְבֵי תֵבֵל
וְאִמְרוּ: אָמֵן.
Oseh shalom bimromav
Hu ya'aseh shalom aleinu
V'al kol Yisrael v'al kol yoshvei tevel
V'imru: amen.
May the one who creates peace on high bring peace to us and to all Israel and the world. And we say: Amen.
TAKE ACTION
Connect with local Ukrainian community center, youth movement or church and join their relief efforts. Search their social media and websites to see how to best support. Support local Ukrainian groups
Join a local peace protest
Send humanitarian aid (via UA AID, the Red Cross, JDC, JFNA or Chabad)
Donate to the MH Ukraine Relief Fund which supports our MH communities and their members (on the ground support and relocation)
Sign and share petition
Call, tweet, or contact your representatives/MPs/ect. to demand support for Ukraine. Templates can be found here
Send notes/pictures/videos of support and encouragement to MH community members in Ukraine showing the actions your community has taken to show your solidarity. Send to Jessica.herrmann@moishehouse.org or Whattsapp +12016690682 and we'll translate & pass along!
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