Zhytomyr, located in the western part of Ukraine, is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe. Zhytomyr is a transportation hub for Ukraine, and has a large industrial base including lumber mills, granite quarries, metal work, and food processing.
With a total population today in the city of more than 250,000 people, the number of Jews is relatively small, but it is strong. When Zhytomyr became part of Russia in 1778, it had a large Jewish community, and was a center of the Ḥasidic movement. By the late 1800s, Jews comprised more than a third of the city’s population (24,000 out of 70,000 people), and had three large synagogues and forty-six small ones. There was a major rabbinical school and a Jewish printing press as well (one of the two allowed in the country at the time).
The pogroms of 1905-1920 led to the killing of many Jews, and then the entire community was decimated in the Holocaust. On July 25, 1942, orders were issued to destroy all 3,000 of Ukraine’s ghettos and shtetls. The Nazi’s killed the Jewish men, women, and children in Zhytomyr, with support from Ukrainian locals.
Following the fall of the Soviet Union, in 1994, Rabbi Shlomo Wilhelm and his wife Esther moved to Zhytomyr, to rebuild the Jewish community. Through the reestablishment of institutions including a synagogue, community center, orphanage and schools, the Wilhelms reintroduced the practice of Judaism and the structure of communal life. A strong support system to assist with daily life has always been a critical component, no more so than over the past nearly 4 years.
Just days after the current war began, Rabbi Wilhelm and his wife, along with the executive director and staff of the Jewish orphanage, Alumim Children’s Home, made a harrowing journey through the Carpathian Mountains to flee to safety. After crossing the border to Romania with more than 100 teens, youth and toddlers, as well as many other members of the Jewish community, the group flew to Israel where they were welcomed by the Israeli President. The children and staff have remained in Ashkelon where they set up a temporary orphanage, with plans to return home to Zhytomyr when peace comes to Ukraine.
The Wilhelms maintain their presence in Zhytomyr despite the ongoing crisis, supporting the Jewish community and continuing the many important activities. It is our honor and privilege to aid the Jews of Ukraine, providing regular humanitarian assistance as well as sponsoring special events including Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations and major holidays. Together we save lives and restore hope.
