During the recent visit to Ukraine by Yossi Peled, a Minister without Portfolio in Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu’s government, he also visited the city of Zhitomir. During his trip, he toured the “Alyumim Children’s Educational Complex,” which is run by the Jewish community of Zhitomir and part of the Ohr Avner educational network.
The youngsters greeted Mr. Peled and his entourage with lively songs and a standing ovation. Mr. Peled was given a tour of the children’s dormitory, after which he got acquainted with the students’ living conditions and expressed his admiration for the high quality and level of professionalism at the institution. At a meeting held with the center’s directors, Malka and Zalman Bukiet, Mr. Peled expressed interest in how the educational process is organized, and in the daily routine of the children and their schooling.
Mr. Peled spoke of his difficult childhood during the war years, when a Belgian family fostered him and his sister. Minister Peled’s father died in the Auschwitz concentration camp, but his mother miraculously survived and took the children back after the war. Eventually, the family made aliyah to Israel.
“As a Holocaust survivor, I can appreciate the conditions and the warmth that you are providing to these children. This is Jewish solidarity and our national responsibility to take care of every Jewish boy and girl in order to give them a chance for a better and happier life,” explained Mr. Peled upon concluding his visit. “The Talmud tractate ‘Kidushin’ says that every good thing has a decisive influence on the world. Surely this children's home is something that will make our world a better place and will influence the world in a positive manner.”
The Jewish community of Zhitomir under the direction of Rabbi Shlomo Wilhelm – a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary serving in the region – is a leading member of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine.