The mayor of Kyiv, Rabbi Yonatan Markovich, was rescued from Ukraine this week with the help of the country's secret security service.
The reason: the understanding that conditions in the city are becoming dangerous for him, as well as his stay with other Jews in the Chabad house, which could make him a target by antisemitic groups in the city.
Since the outbreak of the war, several dozen Jews have been staying at a Chabad house in Kiev and overseeing aid to Jews across the country. To protect themselves, they have hired several armed security guards - but on the night between Friday and Saturday there was an escalation. "Shots were fired, and immediately afterwards there were large explosions three blocks from the Chabad house," said Rabbi Ariel Moskowitz, the son of the city rabbi, who serves as rabbi of the Israeli community in Kiev.
"A missile fell one kilometer from us," the rabbi added, "and rumors began to circulate that squads of local Ukrainians were walking around armed. They handed out weapons to everyone and released people from prison to fight, but some will fight and some will rob the city. Two squads were captured. On acts of violence. "
Rabbi Yonatan Markovich, rabbi of the city of Kyiv, with the private security guards before the rescue from Ukraine // Photo: Courtesy of the rabbi's son
On Saturday night they set off led by a man they had not known before, who promised to bring them to a safe place on the Romanian border.
"We were driving at 140 km / h on roads, some of which were broken," Moskowitz said. When they reached the first checkpoint, it became clear who their guardian angel was.
He told them that the whole convoy was with him, and we moved on quickly. "
Earlier, the secret service contacted the mayor and said that they were supervising him because of his importance, and as it turned out, they even decided to help him leave the country.
"We passed a lot of checkpoints on the way, it's scary. These are improvised checkpoints, with untrained people who got weapons. How did they shoot the Israeli man ?! A man with a rifle is not accountable during a war."
At one point the convoy arrived at a gas station, and they too encountered a challenge.
The station owner agreed to supply them with only 20 liters of gasoline, claiming he had no diesel - then the senior secret service intervened: after explaining that it was a convoy of the secret organization, and warning that non-response was like treason - "and you know what to do to traitors in war" - the convoy was fully refueled And continued on her way.
While galloping forward and bypassing checkpoints where people had been waiting for hours, the convoy arrived on Sunday, 11 hours since it set out, at the border with Romania.
"I have no idea who the man who helped us was," Rabbi Markovich concluded, "but for me he was Elijah the prophet. The Rebbe of Lubavitch sent us - and the Rebbe made sure to get us out."
Now, out of Romania and Hungary, the rabbi of Kyiv and his family are working to help the many Jews who still remain in Ukraine.
After crossing the border: Rescuers rescued.
In the center - Rabbi Yonatan Markovich, Photo: Courtesy of Rabbi Markovich's son
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