"The Car Was Crushed. We Were All Injured, But Couldn't Be Evacuated - Because of the War"

If you have recently read headlines about "Russians bombing power stations in Ukraine," it probably sounds like something distant happening on the other side of the world. But for the Glitzenstein family living in Chernivtsi, it's part of life.

Rabbi Menachem Glitzenstein is a Chabad emissary in Chernivtsi, and he has lived there with his family for the past 20 years. "No missiles have fallen in Chernivtsi itself since the start of the war," he clarifies, "however, it has recently made headlines because the Russians are bombing the entire area of the power stations very close to Chernivtsi. As a result, there is a severe electricity shortage in the city, and we are actually allowed to use the electricity services only for a few hours a day – two hours in the morning, two hours in the afternoon, and sometimes another two hours in the evening. Living in the city has become almost unbearable - it’s not just that food can’t be kept refrigerated or frozen, and you have to bake precisely during the hours when there is electricity. It also means constantly dealing with bone-chilling cold because it is very cold in Chernivtsi these days, snow is falling outside, and we have no way to turn on the heat."

Rabbi Menachem Glitzenstein

Daily Funerals

Being an emissary in Chernivtsi these days means feeling the war in the most tangible way. "The atmosphere in the city is very tense and difficult," notes Glitzenstein, "almost every family has a close family member in the army and there is an ongoing fear for their safety. Some soldiers return in coffins, and we witness almost daily funerals of soldiers. Nevertheless, since there are no missile attacks in our city, there is no existential fear, and even more so – we have become hosts for hundreds of Jewish refugees over the past year. Most of them arrive with small suitcases, almost nothing, and are in need of the most basic things – food, clothing, and bedding. Initially, they were housed in a hotel, but recently we have been finding them apartments in the city, striving to provide for all their needs. Most of them stay with us for a few days and then continue to the border, but some remain with us."

What about the local community? Did it stay in Ukraine?

"We have a large community of about 800 families who are very connected with us; they did not leave and are with us all the time. In addition, there are about 2,000 other Jews in the city who are not part of the community, and we are constantly uncovering more and more. There are even those who do not know about their Jewish heritage, and we discover them quite unexpectedly." 

And what about your private family? Did you not think of leaving?

"At the beginning of the war, we understood that it was a situation of life danger, so I flew with my wife and children to Israel, but after two weeks I returned alone to Chernivtsi, and during Passover, about a month after the outbreak of the war, my wife and children joined me and we all celebrated the holiday together with the community. Very quickly, we also resumed the studies in the kindergarten and school, and even added classes for the refugee children who arrived in the city. My wife works round the clock for all these refugees; she arranges apartment rentals, hot meals every day, and, of course, frameworks for the children. It's hundreds of families new arriving daily, it's non-stop work."

The Car Crashed, We Were Miraculously Saved

During this busy and tense period, the Glitzenstein family faced a challenging ordeal. A few months ago, they were invited to the wedding of a yeshiva boy, a local resident who had been a regular guest in their home for years. He continued studying in New York and by the grace of Hashem strengthened and found his match. "When he informed us about the wedding, it was clear that we would come with the children," Rabbi Glitzenstein relates, "and we also felt it could be a wonderful opportunity to pray at the Lubavitcher Rebbe's resting place and gain strength. However, leaving Ukraine wasn’t simple at all - there are no flights departing from Kyiv these days, and the only way to leave the country is via Budapest or Bucharest. After examining all the options, we concluded the best way would be to drive our car to Budapest airport, and from there take a direct flight to New York."

Does that sound long and complicated? Rabbi Glitzenstein claims the journey took 10 hours each way, and they prepared for it accordingly. "We set off with a car full of children and provisions," he recalls. "We attended the wedding and rejoiced greatly, and the next day we set off back home." But then, during the journey, something unexpected happened – a large dog ran into the road, and Rabbi Glitzenstein quickly swerved the car to the right. As a result, the car collided with a house wall. "The accident was severe," he recounts, "the airbags deployed, the entire car was crushed, and by miraculous fortune, we all emerged alive. The children were injured to varying degrees, I suffered a head injury and a dislocated shoulder, and only my wife, who was pregnant, was unharmed by the grace of Hashem."

At the moment of the accident, they couldn’t take the time to think about the great miracle. "At first, we still didn’t know the exact condition of everyone, but it was clear we had injured people in the car and needed evacuation," clarifies Rabbi Glitzenstein, "but let me remind you – we were in Ukraine, far from any populated area, with a war in the region. What to do? Thank Hashem, there's a Chabad office that ensures rescue in cases of wars or accidents. They sent a plane to the Ukraine-Hungary border, but we still had a problem – we needed an ambulance to take us to the border, and there are no ambulance drivers at this time because men aged 18 and over are prohibited from leaving Ukraine due to conscription. A solution was eventually found in the form of a female ambulance driver who transported us to the border. From there, we were all flown to Israel for medical treatment. We had enormous divine providence because we all recovered quickly and were released from the hospital within less than a week. Even one of the daughters who initially was told to be in moderate to critical condition, healed and recovered rapidly. Although we still need physiotherapy treatments and follow-ups to this day, there’s no doubt we experienced great miracles."

In Israel with a Heart Abroad

Even during the hospitalization, Rabbi Glitzenstein and his wife did not stop thinking about Ukraine. They were physically in Israel, but their hearts were in Chernivtsi, and they were very worried. "At the end of that week, a camp for 300 community children was supposed to open under our auspices," Glitzenstein recounts, "and it was clear to us that we wouldn’t prevent or delay its opening due to the accident we experienced. Ultimately, we decided that our two older daughters, who study in Israel and were not with us in the accident, would fly to Ukraine and open the camp alone. That’s exactly what happened, and after we were released from the hospital, we also flew and joined them."

Since then, they continue their relentless activity. "Nothing is easy," says Rabbi Glitzenstein, "but we proceed full speed ahead without resting for a moment. The most thrilling thing is seeing that Jews who have lived in Chernivtsi and never contacted us or participated in activities throughout the past 20 years, are now suddenly joining us and our activities. Likely during wartime, they feel the need to be part of a community, and it’s an amazing opportunity for us to bring them closer. As I mentioned, there are also hundreds of Jews from outside Chernivtsi who have joined us in recent months. They came here to escape the war but have become part of us, putting on tefillin, participating in Shabbat meals, and even prayers."

And what gives you the strength to continue your activities in such a difficult situation?

"Knowing that we are here on a mission, and if divine providence has brought us here, it means this is the place where we need to spread and help Jews both physically and spiritually. Every day we see more and more families coming closer to a life of mitzvahs, so we cannot close our eyes and run away. It's clear to us that this is precisely what we’re supposed to be doing."

Contact the Chernivtsi community: ‎jewishczernowitz@gmail.com‎