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Jewish Ukrainian help
Evan Axelbank reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Rabbi Joel Simon says it pains his soul that Jews around the world are not able to pray as freely as those in South Tampa Friday night.
"You are reminded of how vulnerable your freedom is," stated Simon.
Congregation Schaarai Zedek, a synagogue of 1,300 families, noted that Ukraine has 200,000 Jews.
Rabbi Simon has studied in Ukraine, and pointed out that despite a recent period of religious freedom, and that the elected president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish, it has been a difficult place for the Jewish people.
From pogroms of the early 20th Century to the Nazi massacre at Babi Yar in Kyiv, a site that was just bombed by Putin's forces.
"To have a country where 30,000 Jews were killed for being Jewish, to now have a Jewish president leading their fight for freedom, I think shows what is possible for anyone who is oppressed," he stated.
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Jewish groups in the Bay Area are helping to collect funds for Ukrainian people of all religions, and have reached half of their goal of $100,000.
Many see the fight against Putin as a fight for religious freedom.
"Everybody has the right to practice what they believe," said Alissa Fischel, of the Tampa JCC & Federation. "I think it is really important we look out for anybody who wants to practice."
Praying for all to experience peace in Ukraine is an expression of a core tenet of Judaism, says Rabbi Simon, but so is taking action.
"We should pray as if everything depends on God, and act as if everything depends on us," said Simon. "I would love to think our prayers are felt, I would love to think our prayers are doing something, but I think our prayers are supposed to inspire us to work."