Being Nearby Under Fire: How a Jewish Chaplain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Supports Fighters on the Sumy Front

In mid-January 2026, on the Sumy direction, not only commands and explosions were heard again. A chaplain was working here — not from a podium and not from the rear, but alongside those holding the line. Rabbi Yakov Sinyakov, chaplain of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine and the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, visited units performing combat tasks in one of the most tense areas.

These visits are not about ceremonies. They are about presence. About conversations without microphones, about silence, where sometimes it’s more important to listen than to speak. On the front line, such meetings become a point of support — when a word of support and prayer help maintain balance no less than armor.

During communication, the chaplain was with the fighters: listening, responding, supporting. The conversations touched not only on service and daily life but also on what is especially keenly felt under fire — faith, hope, and human warmth. It is this, according to the military, that helps maintain inner strength in conditions of constant tension.

The Sumy direction remains challenging. Tasks requiring endurance and concentration are performed here daily. The 7th Air Assault Corps consists of units that operate where it is difficult and dangerous. Therefore, the chaplain’s presence here is not a formality but a necessity: an opportunity to talk, ask questions, pray together, without losing a sense of dignity.

A separate part of the mission was practical assistance. At the beginning of January, the chaplain delivered humanitarian aid, including tires for military vehicles that go on missions daily in harsh frontline conditions. For such units, this is not a trifle — equipment often determines whether a task will be completed and if everyone will return.

But even material assistance takes a back seat when a live conversation begins. Spiritual and psychological support, a calm word, a joint prayer — all this creates a space of trust. On the front, it is especially valuable because war strikes not only the body but also the inner resilience of a person.

Chaplaincy service here is service to the person. To their strength, their doubts, their ability to hold on when resources are running low. Being nearby, hearing, and supporting — this is the essence of such a mission, which is not measured by reports or news footage.

These visits continue. And as long as the war goes on, such work remains unnoticed by the general public but critically important for those on the front line. It is in this way — without loud words, but with constant presence — that what helps to endure is formed.

This is what NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency tells about, capturing not only the events of the war but also the human dimension of support, without which the front is impossible.