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The Jewish community in Ukraine goes back a thousand years. While a flourishing Jewish culture has existed in Ukraine in centuries past, the community has experienced the worst of war and oppression as well. For some insight into the history of Jews in Ukraine, see here and here

The Wall Street Journal reports on the response of Ukrainian Jews in the capital city of Kyiv to the Russian invasion and to the Russian missile attack that destroyed part of the Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial there:

Russian President Vladimir Putin has justified his war on Ukraine by the need to "de-Nazify" its government, falsely claiming that Kyiv is controlled by a cabal of American-sponsored neo-Nazis. To Ukrainian Jews, and many Jewish leaders world-wide, it is a brazen insult to the memory of the Holocaust, especially now that Moscow is indiscriminately shelling Ukrainian cities.

…Today, Ukraine is one of the few European nations with a large and vibrant Jewish community. Despite its dark 20th century history, few signs of open antisemitism remain today. Though there are neo-Nazi groups and political movements in Ukraine, they have much smaller support than in most European nations and don’t poll nearly enough to be represented in parliament. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, elected with 73% of the national vote in 2019, is Jewish, his grandfather a Soviet World War II veteran. A Jewish prime minister headed the Ukrainian government before the election.

The strike on the TV tower in Babyn Yar, which killed five passersby and injured five others, caused particular outrage in Ukraine and abroad… A day after the strike on Babyn Yar, Kyiv synagogues organized evacuation convoys for Kyiv’s Jews and their relatives to Poland, Hungary, Moldova and western Ukraine.

In an article at The Atlantic, Gal Beckerman marvels that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, a Jew who grew up under the Soviet Union’s antisemitic rule, has come to represent the fighting spirit of Ukraine.

Many large national and international organizations are raising money to provide relief, resettlement assistance, and other support to the Jewish communities in Ukraine, including the Jewish Federations of North America, HIAS, and the Jewish Agency for Israel.

In addition, there are smaller organizations providing support on the ground. Hatzalah Ukraine has organized evacuation transports. Chabad rabbis and their families have stayed with their communities and need support. Tikva Odessa, which runs orphanages and schools, evacuated over 600 hundred children and their families to safety and is still caring for them.

Emanuele Ottolenghi warns at Tablet Magazine that America must not give Iran the opportunity to become a nuclear state. Here is why:

Iran remains, at heart, a revolutionary power driven by an ideology that successfully blends Persian nationalism, Shiite revivalism, Third World-ism, and revolutionary Marxist-Leninist theories.

…It is entirely reasonable to assume that Iran is seeking the protection that nuclear weapons clearly provide Russia to impose its will on its neighborhood—and to do so with impunity. And the new world that Iran seeks to create will be dominated by Tehran: It will be characterized by fierce competition with the United States for hegemony over the Persian Gulf and by efforts to cement alliances to confront Iran’s ideological and geopolitical antagonists in Riyadh, Ankara, Jerusalem, and Cairo. This will apply to a range of issues, including Iran’s all-consuming hostility to the existence of Israel or to any political accommodation with it.

…Tehran makes no secret of its aspiration to become the node for all anti-Western and anti-global movements. Today’s Iran dreams of transforming itself into a Soviet Union redux, racing to the aid of anti-Western revolutionaries. Tomorrow’s nuclear Iran will be able to fulfill that dream. It will back a network of radical, violent groups that will rush to Tehran in search for a powerful patron. Tehran will then be only a small step away from becoming as potent a sponsor of subversion throughout the world as Putin’s Russia.

• The RJC condemned Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar for participating in an antisemitic white nationalist event. Read our release here. The New York Times reports:

In the case of Ms. Greene and Mr. Gosar, the Republican Jewish Coalition, which is generously funded by powerful party donors, swiftly denounced their appearances last week at the America First conference, where the lawmakers shared a stage with Mr. [Nick] Fuentes, an antisemitic Holocaust denier who questioned why comparing [Vladimir] Putin to [Adolph] Hitler was "a bad thing."

"…It is appalling and outrageous that a member of Congress would share a platform with an individual who has actively spread antisemitic bile, mocked the Holocaust, and promoted dangerous anti-Israel conspiracy theories,” the Republican Jewish group stated, adding, “This has absolutely no place in the Republican Party, and RJC will actively oppose anyone who associates with Nick Fuentes, AFPAC, and their ilk."

• JNS reports on the RJC’s response to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address:

Yet Sam Markstein, the Republican Jewish Coalition’s national political director, told JNS that Biden’s address "ignored his administration’s failed agenda: skyrocketing inflation, surging crime, surrendering American energy independence, failing to enforce the law on the southern border, rushing to re-enter the disastrous Iran nuclear deal, caving to China, and orchestrating the catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan – just to name a few."

"It’s no wonder 7 in 10 Americans say the country is on the wrong track and President Biden’s approval rating continues to plummet to all-time lows," Markstein said.

• RJC Political Director Sam Markstein appeared on Conservative Talk Radio North, a Canadian conservative radio show, to talk about the RJC and current events.

Passing of Wally Stern

The RJC notes with great sadness the passing of RJC Board of Directors member Walter P. Stern of New York. Wally Stern was an active and dedicated member of the RJC leadership and the RJC Board of Director for decades. He was respected and valued for his keen mind and wise counsel, and for his generosity and kindness. Our thoughts are with his beloved wife Betsy, his children, and the extended family in this difficult time.

Zeldin, House Republicans re-introduce anti-BDS bill

Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-NY-1), member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, co-chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus and one of two Jewish Republicans in Congress, was joined by 46 of his House Republican colleagues in introducing the Israel Anti-Boycott Act. This legislation amends the Export Administration Act of 1979 to prohibit boycotts or boycott requests imposed by international governmental organizations against Israel. The Israel Anti-Boycott Act is supported by the Republican Jewish Coalition.

"Our long-standing anti-boycott laws should apply to international organizations like the UN Human Rights Council and the EU just as much as they do to the countries in the Arab League. We are grateful to Congressman Zeldin for his continued leadership in this important fight," said Senator Norm Coleman, National Chairman, Republican Jewish Coalition.

Webinar: The Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Shoshana Bryen, senior director of the Jewish Policy Center, was the featured speaker for a program hosted by the Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET). She shared her insights into the Russian invasion of Ukraine and into the US interests and policies at play in the crisis.

RJC staff have returned to their offices for in-person work. Contact information for our offices can be found on our web site. Please visit us online for the latest RJC news, to see details of upcoming events, and to donate to the RJC. Read past editions of this newsletter here.