By COLlive reporter
It was a chilling moment. Viktor Kovchak, a Ukrainian-Jewish soldier who was seriously injured on the Ukrainian front, advanced on crutches toward the stage at the opening ceremony of the school year at the Jewish school in Odessa, assisted by his rabbi and teacher, Rabbi Avraham Wolff, the rabbi of Southern Ukraine.
Viktor, whose legs are completely paralyzed and whose life was miraculously saved, took the microphone and slowly, clearly recited Tehillim 20, praying for the recovery of all the wounded and for a healthy and peaceful new year.
Viktor is a graduate of the Jewish school in Odessa, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this week, having nurtured generations of Jews since its opening. Viktor’s prayer was a defining moment for the beginning of another school year under the shadow of the brutal war that only continues to intensify in the country.
Yosef Yitzchak Tudoran, another Jewish soldier and graduate of the school, then appeared on the screen. He had been wounded on the Gaza front, with his leg injured. In a live broadcast, he recited a Tehillim for Israel’s victory in the war. Parents, staff, and all participants were moved to tears.
In addition to Odessa, dozens of ‘Or Avner’ schools opened in various countries of the former Soviet Union, including Russia, Ukraine, and others. Major schools are located in cities like Rostov, Zhytomyr, and the capital, Kyiv. In the latter, they were shocked to discover on the first day of school that missile fragments had fallen within the school grounds just hours earlier.
The opening ceremonies at the Jewish schools were marked with emotional celebrations, some of which included giving students new tzitzis. Chabad Shluchim delivered words of Torah to the parents, strengthening their sense of Jewish pride and the great privilege of having their children educated in Jewish institutions.
In preparation for the new school year, the educational staff of ‘Or Avner’ launched a variety of educational productions and special tools, including a well-crafted ‘student diary’ that integrates the Jewish calendar, holidays, special dates, and Chassisic milestones.
Against the backdrop of the war, thousands of students in Ukraine received a special gift from the Chabad JRNU network on the first day of school—special reflective bands to wear around their wrists.
These reflectors are designed to help students cope with the power outages that have become routine in the war-torn country. Every evening, the streets are plunged into total darkness due to the blackouts, posing a life-threatening danger to pedestrians.
