The Torah in Ukrainian was included for the first time in Hanukkah sets for communities from the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine.

The Main Innovation of Hanukkah 2025 in Ukraine: A Book That Was Not Previously Included in Holiday Sets

This year, 2025, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine took a step that had long been anticipated: for the first time, a complete edition of the Torah in Ukrainian was included in the Hanukkah sets. Not excerpts, not an abridged version — but a full volume, created as a serious work by translators, rabbis, and editors.

Why the Rejection of the Russian-Language Torah Became Not Only a Cultural but Also a Moral Step for the Community

Until recently, Russian-language editions were the norm — there simply was no other text. But after 2022, everything changed. Russian aggression, constant attacks, strikes on Ukrainian cities, including those where Jewish families live, created a new, harsh reality.

And in this reality, reading the sacred book in the language of the country that is bombing your country became an internal conflict for many. These are not loud statements, but a quiet human feeling present in the conversations of rabbis, teachers, and ordinary families. Language ceased to be “just a means” — it became an emotional boundary.

Therefore, the appearance of the Torah in Ukrainian is not just about convenience.
It’s about respect for those who live under sirens today, who lose their homes, who try to maintain faith in wartime conditions. It’s about the fact that the Jewish community of Ukraine should not open the sacred text and feel discomfort because it sounds like the language of the aggressor.

For the first time, the community has the opportunity to read the Torah in the language of Ukraine, not in the language of the country that strikes this land.

For many families, this was a relief.
For rabbis, an important step towards making tradition sound honest and natural.
For children, it’s a way not to associate their spiritual life with a language that now causes pain and rejection.

And that is why the inclusion of this book in the Hanukkah sets is read as a gesture of support — quiet but very precise.

How the Torah in Ukrainian Was Created and Why It Is Called a Breakthrough

The translation itself was published only in 2025. The first edition — 3,000 copies, printed in Kharkiv. The project was led by publisher Mikhail Shifrin, with editor Alexander Kaganovsky, and the translation was prepared by Elena Rabinovich and Anna Chvikova.

Rabbi Mikhail Gotzel was responsible for accuracy and adherence to tradition. Additional participants — Anat Brusilovsky, Igor Zalatarov, Menachem Mendel Maryanovsky, and Akiva Nemoy — helped maintain the quality and structure of the text. Coordination was handled by Rabbi Levi Engelsman and Varvara Korobkova.

The book is structured as a bilingual edition: the Ukrainian translation runs parallel to the Hebrew text. Haftarot — an important part of Sabbath readings — are included.

Now this work comes into homes for the first time along with the holiday box.

How FEGU Prepares 45,000 Sets and Why Communities Anticipate Them in Advance

In Dnipro, the warehouses are bustling, typical of the last week before an important holiday. The tape rustles, boxes are arranged along routes, volunteers check lists. This year, FEGU is sending 45,000 sets to 150+ cities in Ukraine.

For large and small communities, these sets are not a “pleasant addition,” but the foundation of a holiday that would otherwise be too modest.

What Is in the Set Besides the Book

Menorah. Candles. Sweets. Materials about Hanukkah. The children’s book “8 Bright Nights,” created specifically for family evenings. All this forms the familiar set known to every community.

But it is the book that changes the perception of the entire set.

Why the Inclusion of the Torah Became an Important Signal for Jewish Ukraine

The book remains when the candles have already gone out.

For parents, it’s a chance to talk with children about tradition in the language of the country in which they grow up and which is their Homeland. For small communities, it’s confirmation that they are remembered. For Jewish Ukraine itself, it’s a moment when the spiritual text becomes part of everyday space, not something distant.

And here is a detail that is important to note: it is precisely such decisions — when the holiday is filled not only with ritual but also with meaning — that form the very connectivity between countries and communities, which we often write about in NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency, because it explains how tradition remains alive even in difficult times.