Rav Yonatan Markovitch, Chief Rabbi of Kyiv and Chief Rabbi of the Ukrainian Prison Service, paid a visit last week to Shura Base, the heart of the IDF’s casualty identification operations. His meeting with IDF Chief Rabbi Brigadier General Rav Eyal Krim focused on urgent halachic dilemmas surrounding kvuras Yisrael for Jewish soldiers serving on the bloody front lines of Ukraine’s war.
Since the outbreak of the war, Rav Markovitch has been at the forefront of ensuring that Jewish soldiers who fall in battle receive proper halachic burial. This is no small task. The Ukrainian army often defaults to cremation of fallen soldiers—a practice that stands in direct violation of halachah. Rav Markovitch, with incredible mesirus nefesh, has worked case by case to prevent this fate and arrange for kever Yisrael under extremely difficult circumstances.
During his visit to Israel, Rav Markovitch sought guidance and collaboration with the IDF’s Rabbanut, whose experience since the tragedies of October 7 has included round-the-clock identification of kedoshei Yisrael. He was given a comprehensive tour of the army’s casualty identification facilities and observed firsthand the advanced technologies being used, all under the close supervision of halachic authorities to preserve dignity and kavod hameis.
The conversation between Rav Markovitch and Rav Krim was deeply focused on halachic nuances. Among the issues discussed were the parameters of chilul Shabbos when urgently needed to prevent cremation, and the permissibility of using certain forms of technology on Shabbos for the purpose of identification. These are not theoretical questions. On the ground in Ukraine, decisions must often be made in a matter of hours, with Jewish lives and dignity hanging in the balance.
Rav Markovitch presented the realities he faces daily — often having mere moments to intervene before a Jewish meis is processed for cremation. Rav Krim, in turn, shared the protocols and halachic decision-making frameworks employed by the IDF during times of war, offering critical insights that may now help save kedoshei Yisrael from desecration in Ukraine.
At the conclusion of the visit, the two Rabbanim agreed to establish a direct line of communication for ongoing halachic consultation. This channel will allow for rapid guidance in cases where immediate decisions must be made under battlefield pressure.
“The situation in Ukraine leaves very little time for hesitation,” Rav Markovitch said. “Once a soldier falls, a race begins. If we don’t act swiftly, the opportunity to give him a proper Jewish burial may be lost. The support and halachic clarity we received from the IDF today is invaluable—though we daven that we never need to use it.”
Rav Markovitch added that while the Ukrainian and Israeli fronts are worlds apart, the mutual responsibility of kol Yisrael areivim zeh lazeh binds their missions together. “Every Jewish soldier, no matter where he is, deserves to be laid to rest k’das u’k’din. That is our duty, and our privilege.”
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One Response
“Once a soldier falls, a race begins. If we don’t act swiftly, the opportunity to give him a proper Jewish burial may be lost. i.e. what transpires if this occurs over שבת or יום-טוב & especially a 3-day יום-טוב?