Yesterday my Twitter feed was overwhelmed by trolls mocking my enthusiasm for what it means to Jews to see a Jew as the president of Ukraine, exerting such inspired & unifying leadership during this existential crisis for their country ...
Trolls focused on sorts of terrible things, including the history of antisemitism in Ukraine, but that is exactly the point: 100+ years ago Ukraine had 2.7 million Jews, a vibrant & engaged community that would be cut down by decades of pogroms, Holocaust, Soviet occupation ...
Judaism teaches us to remember, not to hate, but to stay grounded in the harsh reality can be for all of us and to celebrate when we find new hope & renewed joy. Fact that a Jew can be unifying president for this country, of all countries, breeds hope for renewed acceptance ...
More generally the invasion of Ukraine brings so many of us profound sadness for the suffering & saftey of Ukrainians; their resolve is an inspiration to us all. Ukrainian unity, supported swiftly & strongly by the rest of the world, is potentially/hopefully transformative ...
And for a people who saw a thriving population in Ukraine cut down, within the lifetime of many who are still alive to remember, it is inspiring to see Jews back in the mix, as part of the unified population, not as outsiders, but as accepted & respected members of their society.
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