Interest in studying Jewish language, history and culture is growing in Ukraine. What is behind this?

Interest in Judaic Studies is growing in Ukraine — an academic field focused on the study of Jewish history, language, and culture. Even without Jewish roots, Ukrainians are learning Yiddish, researching Jewish cemeteries, and attending Judaic conferences, such as the recent one held in Kamianets-Podilskyi.

In Ukraine, the study of Jewish language, history, and culture is called Judaica, while in the Western world it is known as Jewish Studies.

Ukrainians actively study Jewish culture: from academic conferences to Yiddish translations

There is growing public and academic interest in Judaic studies in Ukraine — a field that explores Jewish history, language, and heritage. What is particularly notable is that more and more of the most active researchers have no Jewish ancestry. Amid war, in search of meaning, historical connection, and shared past, Ukrainians are increasingly turning to Jewish civilization as a part of their own national narrative.

Conference in Kamianets-Podilskyi: 15 years of Ukrainian Judaica

A recent academic conference in Kamianets-Podilskyi brought together Ukraine’s most active researchers in the field of Judaica. According to the organizers, it showcased the scholarly work developed over nearly 15 years. This marks a significant development: even though “Judaica” is not formally recognized as a university major by the Ministry of Education of Ukraine, a vibrant scholarly community already exists.

Journalist from Espreso.Zakhid spoke with the conference participants about their motivations for studying Jewish history, language, and culture.

What is Judaica — and who studies it?

Judaica is not yet recognized in Ukraine as a separate academic discipline: it is currently not possible to receive a degree or defend a dissertation specifically in this field. However, there is a International Interdisciplinary Certificate Program in Judaica, operating under the auspices of the A. Yu. Krymskyi Institute of Oriental Studies at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Over two years, students study in-depth:

• The history of Jews in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine
• The basics of Hebrew and Yiddish
• Jewish philosophy and religious traditions
• Archival and documentary research methods

Enrollment for the 2025–2027 academic years is now open, reflecting continued interest in the program despite institutional limitations.

You can apply here.

The people behind this new wave of interest in Jewish culture

Maria Vovchko from Lviv defended her dissertation on Jewish assimilation in Galicia during the 19th–20th centuries. She admits she has no Jewish heritage but is passionate about archival research and dreams of writing a book about Jewish history in Lviv.

Graduate student Tetyana Nepypenko began studying Yiddish four years ago through language courses. Since then, she has translated several books and received a grant from House of Europe to translate the historical novel “In the Polish Forests” by Joseph Opatoshu.

Anna Kivilsha from Kamianets-Podilskyi has spent years documenting synagogues and cemeteries across the Podillia region. She notes that interest in Jewish history today is even stronger than when Jews were living next door.

Vadym Yablonskyi, an Egyptologist studying ancient Egyptian politics, was inspired by an open house event to join the Judaica program and begin researching the Jewish cemetery in his hometown of Teofipol. He faces a lack of local support and people who can even read Hebrew.

Olha Yashna, an archaeologist, began her work with excavations of a Karaite kenesa in Crimea and continued her studies in Kyiv and Israel. “Judaica is my way of returning to Crimea,” she says, now working with the Jewish collection of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve.

Why it matters for Ukraine and Israel

This trend is not just academic. In the context of full-scale war with Russia, Ukrainians are increasingly drawn to the histories of communities that once shaped their homeland but largely vanished in the 20th century — often due to the Holocaust and political repression.

Judaica is becoming a bridge between two peoples — Ukrainian and Jewish — uniting them not only through shared memory of tragedies but through a common cultural fabric. That’s why the website NAnews – Israel News continues to follow and highlight such initiatives.

Mutual interest as a form of cultural resistance

Ukrainian interest in Jewish culture is also a form of symbolic resistance to Putin’s ideology, which seeks to erase identities, rewrite history, and suppress humanistic values. In contrast, studying Yiddish, synagogues, cemeteries, and translating Jewish literature is an act of cultural restoration and respect.

Learn more on our website NAnews – Israel News, where we share stories that connect nations, cultures, and generations.