Avraham Fried, the “King of Chassidic music” and popular Jewish singer and entertainer, gave historic first-time concerts in three Ukrainian cities last week, attracting audiences of thousands of Jews from all over the country. The concerts honored 25 years of Jewish heritage revival in Ukraine and focused on the power of Jewish unity.

The performances took place in Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov and Odessa, each of them attended by about 2,000 people. Fried performed his hit songs in Hebrew, English and Russian that electrified the audiences, uplifting spirits and distracting them from troublesome times in the country.

The organizers of the event, which included the Meromim Foundation and local FJC city communities were amazed by the diversity of the participants, many of whom had never attended a Jewish event before, but were swept away by the powerful and uplifting performance.

“The fact that so many Jews attended this historic event just goes to prove that the Jews have not been defeated and that Jewish life in Ukraine is thriving once again,” Rabbi Kaminetsky, the rabbi of Dnepropetrovsk community said.