As Ukraine endures one of the harshest winters in recent memory, a severe collapse in infrastructure has left hundreds of thousands of civilians without power, water, or heat — including thousands of Jewish families across Kyiv and other hard-hit regions.
In recent days, attacks on critical utilities have paralyzed central heating systems and disrupted gas supplies throughout the capital and beyond. Among those affected are elderly Holocaust survivors, young families, and members of local Jewish communities, now facing subzero temperatures in unheated homes.
The Federation of Jewish Communities (FJC) and Chabad’s humanitarian division in Ukraine, JRNU, have launched an urgent, large-scale emergency response. Teams on the ground are working tirelessly to distribute firewood, heaters, generators, gas canisters, and fuel. In addition, community centers and synagogues are being equipped with emergency heating solutions to serve as vital refuges for the vulnerable.
“Right now, this is all about survival,” a JRNU representative noted. “We are doing everything possible to ensure that no member of the community is left without warmth.”
In particularly dire cases, FJC plans evacuating families and individuals to safer areas in Western Ukraine, where basic utilities remain functional. These life-saving efforts are ongoing and depend heavily on emergency funding and swift support from international partners and donors.
As the crisis deepens, Chabad and the FJC continue to call for immediate assistance to meet the overwhelming and growing needs of Ukraine’s Jewish communities.
