‘This is truly a huge step forward for all Ukrainian-speaking Jews,’ said Chief Rabbi Moshe Azman
28/10/2025
The Torah has been translated into Ukrainian en masse for the first time after a challenging two-year production process amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
The first print run of several hundred copies came out on Simchat Torah earlier this month and has been sent out to Jewish communities all across the country. Thousands more are set to be printed, all with the Hebrew text displayed beside Ukrainian translation.
Publishers faced several delays as the printing process was reportedly disrupted by an onslaught of Russian strikes, but eventually, the work was completed.
Orthodox news outlet Col Live reports that the project was run by Mikhail Shifrin, 53, from Kharkiv, the owner of a large printing company and Rabbi Mayer Stambler, the chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU).
Another rabbi, Levi Engelsman, who was also involved in the project, said: “More than ten translators and editors worked on translating the Torah into Ukrainian, a process that altogether took about two years.
“We made a major effort to complete the printing before Simchat Torah, and I’m proud that we met our deadline.”
The Torah was first translated into Russian in the 1800s, but when Ukraine gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the use of Ukrainian as a first language increased dramatically. The use of Russian has continued to decline over the years, and today, according to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), only 15 per cent of Ukrainians speak it as their primary language.
Rabbi Engelsman said: “This is a historic moment and a great help for many Jews who no longer speak Russian or any other language besides Ukrainian.”
The Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, Moshe Azman, took to X to say: “For the first time in the history of modern Ukraine, the Torah has been published in Ukrainian.
“The Torah is the foundation for every Jew. It is the most important book of all Jewish books. It is a true instruction manual on how a Jew should live. From the Torah, we take laws that apply to all aspects of human life, and that is more than 613 commandments.
“I am very grateful to the FJCU for its painstaking work, which lasted more than two years. I am grateful to everyone who participated: translators, linguists, and rabbis. This is truly a huge step forward for all Ukrainian-speaking Jews.”
Ukraine has one of the largest populations of hereditary Jews in the world, at around a quarter of a million. However, many of those with Jewish ancestry do not identify as Jewish, leading to the official population sitting at around 40,000.
Ukraine’s chief Rabi is an absolute Mensch. His son served in the ZSU and was killed by vermin.
He continued to travel to Kherson to deliver essential supplies, despite being warned that his religious regalia would make him a target for putinaZi drones. They tried twice to kill him.
“Ukraine has one of the largest populations of hereditary Jews in the world, at around a quarter of a million. However, many of those with Jewish ancestry do not identify as Jewish, leading to the official population sitting at around 40,000.”
I understand that well. Ukraine was once the most Jewish country in the world, but the czarist pogroms put paid to that. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries it was dangerous to be Jewish in ruZZian-occupied Ukraine. Many left to countries like America. Eg: Bob Dylan’s antecedents were from Odesa and Steven Spielberg’s came from Kamianets-Podilskyi.
Just imagine the wealth created in the USA that would have gone to Ukraine were it not for ruZZian genocide.
A Jewish doctor I once chatted with said to me : “I love salo. Do you like it?”
I said : “no and I’m surprised that a man of your faith would take it!”
He explained that “many of us who remained behind when so many had gone, chose to adapt to Ukrainian traditions. Many of us changed our names and converted to Orthodoxy. It was safer for us.”
“The use of Russian has continued to decline over the years, and today, according to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), only 15 per cent of Ukrainians speak it as their primary language.”
Very good.
The same thing goes for the rest of Eastern Europe and former Soviet Republics. The ruskie yazik is dying.