Chaplains of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Central Synagogue of Ukraine — how the meeting in Kyiv became a sign of respect for Jewish tradition

On April 20, 2026, the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Moshe Reuven Asman spoke about an important interfaith meeting that took place in Kyiv, at the Central Synagogue of Ukraine. This refers to the Kyiv Central Synagogue of Ukraine, better known as the Brodsky Synagogue. It is located in the center of the capital, on Shota Rustaveli Street, 13. This synagogue is often associated with the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Moshe Reuven Asman, and it is often referred to as the Central Synagogue of Ukraine in public messages.

At first glance, it may seem like a private visit, but for the Ukrainian-Israeli context, this story is much deeper. In a time of great war, when society lives under constant pressure, the very possibility of a calm, meaningful, and respectful dialogue between representatives of different religious traditions acquires special value. For the Israeli audience, it is also an important signal of what the life of the Jewish community in Ukraine looks like today, not in abstract terms, but in reality.

It was Moshe Reuven Asman who reported that on this day, Jewish chaplain David Milman received officers-chaplains of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the synagogue, who came to learn about Jewish tradition, laws, customs, and the modern life of the Jewish community in the country. The very format of such a meeting shows that it was not about a protocol gesture, but about a live contact between people who belong to different spiritual traditions but today serve one country.

Why this meeting in Kyiv is important not only for Ukraine but also for Israel

Among the chaplains who visited the Central Synagogue of Ukraine were representatives of Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, and Protestant clergy. This is a fundamentally important detail because it shows the real scale of interfaith dialogue, not just its symbolic representation.

Guests were given a tour of the synagogue, told about the basics of Jewish laws and customs, about prayer, holidays, and how the Jewish community of Ukraine lives today. This format of communication is especially significant right now, when war could easily displace complexity, diversity, and respect for differences, but in this case, the opposite happens: different traditions get the opportunity to better understand each other.

For Israel, this story is important for several reasons. Firstly, Ukrainian Jewry remains a noticeable and lively part of the country’s social fabric even in wartime conditions. Secondly, it is not just about preserving religious life, but about its inclusion in the overall national context. And thirdly, such meetings show that Ukraine continues to build not only defense on the front but also an internal culture of respect between communities.

Who are the chaplains in the Armed Forces of Ukraine

According to the latest public data, there are about 800 military chaplains in Ukraine, and together with assistants and the leadership of the Military Chaplaincy Service, it covers about 1,700 people.

Chaplains in the Armed Forces of Ukraine are official military clergy who work with servicemen on matters of faith, prayer, moral support, and coping with losses. Their service in Ukraine operates based on a separate law — the Law of Ukraine “On the Military Chaplaincy Service” No. 1915-IX, adopted on November 30, 2021.

Formally, this system was enshrined in law in 2021, and in 2022 it was integrated into the military service procedure: the decree of the President of Ukraine No. 641/2022 of September 12, 2022, directly established that candidates for military chaplain positions must meet the requirements of the law, and the chaplains themselves are appointed within the Military Chaplaincy Service.

A chaplain can be a clergyman of a religious organization registered in Ukraine, who has received an official mandate for such activity. That is, it is not just a “priest with the army,” but a person with a formal legal status within the military system.

What exactly was shown and explained to the chaplains of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Judging by the description of the meeting, its participants were not limited to a brief greeting or a formal tour. They were explained how Jewish religious life is organized, what key traditions are based on, how prayer and holidays are perceived, and how the Jewish community of Ukraine lives under current conditions.

This is especially important for military chaplains because they often become intermediaries between the army, the personal faith of servicemen, families, and the moral atmosphere within units. The more accurately they understand each other’s traditions, the less room there is for accidental stereotypes, misunderstandings, and unnecessary barriers.

This is where the true value of such visits lies. They are not reduced to a gesture of courtesy. They form practical respect, which then works outside the synagogue walls — in the military environment, in communication between people, in the attitude towards communities, and in understanding that Ukraine, despite the war, remains a multi-layered society.

The role of Moshe Asman, David Milman, and Jewish chaplaincy in Ukrainian reality

It is also important who exactly reported on this meeting. When the event is reported by the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Moshe Reuven Asman, it gives it additional weight. In this case, it is not about an outside observation, but about the position of a person who has long been one of the most prominent figures in Jewish religious life in Ukraine and is directly associated with the Central Synagogue of Ukraine in Kyiv.

Equally significant is the role of Jewish chaplain David Milman, who received the officers-chaplains of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In wartime conditions, Jewish chaplaincy becomes not only a form of spiritual service for its community but also a bridge between different parts of Ukrainian society. When such a dialogue takes place in the center of Kyiv, in the well-known Brodsky Synagogue, it acquires both symbolic and practical dimensions simultaneously.

Special thanks were expressed to the officer of the chaplaincy service, chaplain of the 7th Airborne Corps Yakov Sinyakov for helping organize the visit. And this is also an important detail. Such meetings do not arise by themselves. Behind them is the concrete work of people who understand that respect between religious traditions does not appear automatically, it needs to be built.

In such stories, it is especially clear that war tests the country not only for the strength of its weapons but also for the strength of its social ties. NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency in this context sees the Kyiv meeting not as a local episode, but as an important example of how respect, religious dialogue, and readiness to listen to each other are preserved and developed in wartime Ukraine.

Why this story particularly resonates with the Israeli audience

For Israelis, such a story is read much more broadly than just news from the life of the Jewish community in Ukraine. Israel itself lives in a space where the army, religion, memory, identity, and social resilience are constantly intertwined. Therefore, the episode with the visit of the chaplains of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the Central Synagogue of Ukraine is perceived not as an exotic detail, but as an understandable and serious social signal.

This meeting shows that even in the midst of war, Ukraine strives to maintain space for respect for Jewish tradition, for interfaith communication, and for a live acquaintance with community life. And this means that the struggle is not only for territory and security but also for the type of society that must endure after the war.

What this visit really means

Looking deeper, the visit of the officers-chaplains of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the Central Synagogue of Ukraine in Kyiv is a story not only about religion. It is a story about trust. About an attempt to remove unnecessary barriers between people of different traditions. About recognizing that the Jewish community of Ukraine is not a periphery, but part of the overall national space.

That is why Moshe Reuven Asman’s account of the meeting on April 20, 2026, deserves attention both in Ukraine and in Israel. It shows that under the pressure of war, not only bitterness and fatigue can arise, but also a mature culture of mutual respect. And for a country fighting for its future, this is not a secondary topic, but one of the signs of internal strength.