Under heavy security provided by special forces, Lt. Gen. Joseph Keith Kellogg—President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Russia and Ukraine—held a rare meeting with dozens of city rabbis across Ukraine, all of them Chabad emissaries. The meeting took place at the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial site in Kyiv and focused on the state of Ukraine’s Jewish communities.
The war in Ukraine has taken a heavy toll on the country’s Jewish population, one of the largest in the world. Entire communities were destroyed, others were rebuilt, and hundreds of Jews have been killed—some in missile strikes on urban centers, others while serving in the Ukrainian army.
The meeting was initiated by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU), the umbrella organization representing the 169 Jewish communities still operating under Ukrainian sovereignty.
The gathering was held in a specially erected tent at the Babi Yar ravine, where tens of thousands of Jews from Kyiv were massacred by the Nazis and their local collaborators. Among the participants was Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s office and a close confidant of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
At the start of the meeting, Rabbi Rafael Rutman, executive vice chairman of federation, recited Psalm 23 in English. According to those present, the American general was visibly moved to tears upon hearing the verses. Moshe Reuven Azman, chief rabbi of Ukraine, then offered Kellogg a blessing on behalf of the rabbis and wished him success in bringing peace to Ukraine.
Rabbi Meir Stambler, head of the Federation, told Kellogg: “Our meeting with you at this site, which symbolizes the destruction of Kyiv's Jewish community, is the clearest proof of the Jewish communities’ revival in Ukraine. The war has destroyed communities in more than 10 cities, but we’ve built new ones elsewhere, and existing communities have grown due to the influx of refugees. We receive full support from the central government in Kyiv and local authorities across the country.”
He added that “President Trump, as the leader of the free world, has the right—and the duty—to do what the world expects of him: to bring peace to this region. It is written that before the coming of the Messiah, we will be able to distinguish between darkness and light. We are glad that President Trump, like so many others, now knows who is on the right and just side. We fully support President Zelensky’s efforts on behalf of Ukraine.”
One of the most striking testimonies came from Rabbi Yechiel Levitansky, a California native who lives just 17 kilometers from the Russian border and mere kilometers from the front line. The city of Sumy is under relentless shelling, yet the rabbi told Kellogg that he chose to remain in war-torn Ukraine with his community rather than return to the United States.
“We provide physical and spiritual support here for elderly Holocaust survivors and young families with infants,” he said. “The city is under heavy attack, and innocent civilians are being targeted. Since separating from the Soviet Union, Ukraine has made enormous progress toward embracing minorities, and it’s clear that we fully support it.”
After Rutman personally introduced each rabbi to General Kellogg, Andrii Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, informed him that approximately 200 Chabad emissary families reside in Ukraine and that the country is doing everything possible to support them. “We’re proud that they feel at home here,” Yermak said. “President Zelensky and the country’s leadership were pleased to hear that these rabbis have tied their fate to that of the local population. It gives us the strength to keep fighting for justice and truth. We see them as ambassadors of light—both here in Ukraine and in representing us to the world.”
Despite Russian claims that the war was launched to “denazify” Ukraine, the rabbis told Kellogg that Jews in Ukraine—both as individuals and as communities—feel safe. Isolated antisemitic incidents, they said, are handled swiftly and firmly by authorities.
Kellogg, for his part, said he had arrived on Trump’s behalf for a multi-day visit to better “feel” the situation on the ground and relay his impressions back to the president. Part of that mission, he said, involved hearing the voices of Ukraine’s Jewish population—an integral part of the country’s fabric for centuries—and understanding their experience firsthand.
“It’s important to the president to hear your perspectives,” Kellogg said, adding that the meeting gave him a more objective view of Ukraine and would help him prepare the report he will deliver to Trump. “We intend to use the power that God has given the United States to make this region—and the world—a better place.”
Rabbi Jonathan Markovitch, Kyiv’s chief rabbi, told Kellogg: “Before the election, President Trump visited the resting place of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who was born and raised in Ukraine, to pray for his victory. The Rebbe’s immense influence began here, on Ukrainian soil, and expanded after he moved to the United States, which he called a ‘kingdom of kindness.’ From there, his impact spread across the globe.”
