The Rav of Kyiv, HaRav Moshe Azman, spoke with Kol Chai on Wednesday morning, Erev Purim.

“I’m the Beis HaKnesses HaGadol of Kyiv,” he said. “I traveled to various cities yesterday.  The roads are dangerous but shlichei mitzvah aren’t harmed. I also passed through Uman. There are still Jews in Uman, as well as many refugees who fled from more dangerous areas.”

“Yesterday, when I arrived in Kyiv, 150 Jews had just arrived from Chernivtsi in northern Kyiv, where there’s been heavy shelling. Every person has a harrowing story, there’s been direct hits there.”

“We evacuate several buses from the large cities every day. Yesterday, we evacuated three or four buses just from Kyiv, from our shul. We send them out with police escorts toward Moldova. In Kishinev, there’s staff who take care of them and they immigrate to Israel or other countries. The main thing is to save them from danger.”

“Since last night, there’s been a curfew in Kyiv. I’ll read the Megillah here in the shul. Yesterday I told everyone that whoever wants should sleep in shul. Today, more Jews from several small towns are supposed to come here.”

“Tomorrow morning, there will be a lot of people at Kriyas Megillah because there won’t be a curfew anymore. We have a vehicle with a permit and we’ll try to bring in as many Jews as possible. Yesterday we were told that there would be bombings davka in these two days and they’ll try to conquer the city with soldiers on the ground and from the air. The atmosphere is tense but I told everyone that Purim is a special day and the world is davening for us.”

Rav Azman was asked about his connection with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. “Currently, we don’t have any connection with Zelensky. No one knows where he is because there were ten attempts to assassinate him. Of course, I convey messages to him but not directly.”

The video below shows scores of Jewish refugees flocking to the shul before Purim:

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)