Wednesday night, hundreds of missiles and drones shook Kyiv for 12 straight hours. By morning 20 people had been killed and more than 80 injured.
Jewish families returning from a week in the mountains ran directly to the shelters:
"The whole city shook violently, the explosions did not stop for a moment and it was simply impossible to close an eye," recalled Rabbi Simcha Levenharts.
The overnight strikes by drones and missiles were some of the most intense of the last few months, and explosions shook the city over and over.
The tension in the streets was palatable, resulting in part from the government’s precautionary decision to close all gas stations throughout the capital. Crowds of city residents fled their homes in the dead of night to take shelter deep in the subway stations.
Members of the Kyiv Jewish community were returning from nine days of quiet in the Carpathian Mountains where they participated in a JRNU camp and enjoyed a respite from the trauma of war. Sadly, parents and kids returned to one of the most severe attacks the city has experienced. Dozens of people were forced to spend the night huddled in the underground shelter at the community center.
In the morning, hundreds of people arrived to take part in the morning prayer for the fast of Tammuz, exhausted but determined. At the same time, our humanitarian aid efforts were in full swing. In addition to the normal routine of preparing hot meals in the soup kitchens and distributing food packages, staff and volunteers went door to door checking on people, particularly the elderly, the sick, and others who need assistance. Meals and other essentials were delivered to those who are unable to leave their home, or are too afraid to venture out, uncertain when the attacks might resume.
Together we save lives and restore hope.
