When the call came in to do a media junket in Kiev I could hardly believe it. Generally, I try to avoid leaving the land of Israel, except to do kiruv work, but I had been chalashing to go to the Ukraine for a few years and finally my opportunity had arrived. Two catalysts caused my yearning to visit Ukraine: family roots in Kiev and Odessa, and a wish to see the graves of the righteous, especially the Baal Shem Tov’s tomb. I guess you could say that I was seeking my physical and spiritual forefathers in the Ukraine.
But the hook that finally got me there was a conference about antisemitism. Yes, it is ironic, and maybe bold: a conference about antisemitism in Ukraine, home of places like Babi Yar, events like the Chemelnitsky Massacre, and modern-day neo-Nazism in the form of the Svoboda Party. In fact, the whole conference was premised on canonical piece of antisemitism – the 100 year anniversary of the infamous blood libel trial of Mendel Beilis.
Mendel Beilis and his Family in the Ukraine
The following are some of the images that caught my eye and which, I hope, tell the story and the spirit of the Ukraine. CLICK HERE to see the photos and read about my Ukrainian adventure.
Click below to hear my radio reports from the Ukraine.
1. Visiting The Masters in the Ukraine
2. Interview with author Edmund Levin on the history of the Beilis Trial and its impact until today.
