The office of the Jewish youth organization Hillel has been damaged by the russian missiles in Odessa
The ceiling of the Hillel office in Odessa has collapsed, doors and windows are broken after Sunday’s missile attack. This is the second Hillel office in Ukraine that was damaged after February 24, 2022.
Last March, the russians shelled the center of Kharkiv. One of the missiles hit the Palace of Labor, where the Kharkiv office of the organization was located. Almost nothing was left of it then, but the premises have already been restored. The Jewish Confederation of Ukraine also provided help.
Out of more than 550 Hillel offices around the world, 5 chapters of the world’s largest Jewish youth network are now operating in Ukraine: in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa, Lviv and Dnipro.
The history of Hillel is rich. This year, it is the 100th anniversary of the founding of this student movement, named in honor of the Jewish sage Rabbi Hillel, who lived at the turn of two eras. He is credited with saying, “That Which Is Hateful to You, Do Not Do to Your Fellow! That is the Whole Torah; The Rest is Interpretation.”
The organization is as far away from politics and religion as possible and is exclusively engaged in educational, cultural and volunteer programs among Jewish youth. It is a kind of hobby club, with computer courses, sports sections, amateur theaters, etc. Young people are introduced here to the history and culture of the Jewish people. Wherever Hillel is present, Jewish young people are not bored.
The Odessa office will also be restored; repair works have already begun.
