On November 11, 2026, the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, Moshe Reuven Asman, announced a meeting with the new Israeli Ambassador Roi Rosenblit at the Central Synagogue of Ukraine in Kyiv. The conversation concerned the situation of Jewish communities during the war, power outages, and possible joint humanitarian missions involving Israel.
Alexander Khmelnitsky | NANews — News of Israel
The meeting took place on the eve of another harsh winter. Russian strikes on energy infrastructure are forcing Ukrainians to prepare once again for prolonged power and heating outages. For communities helping the population, this means an increasing need for generators, transportation, food, and communication means.
What Asman and Rosenblit discussed
Asman told the ambassador how Jewish communities continue to operate under wartime conditions. Since February 2022, their organized humanitarian programs have been helping people regardless of nationality and religion.
The involvement of Israeli experience in new missions for those affected by the war was discussed separately.
“For me, it is very important that the ties between Ukraine and Israel are strengthened not only at the diplomatic level but also through concrete good deeds that can ease people’s lives!” wrote the rabbi.
At the end of the publication, he wished both countries peace and security.
At the same time, Asman did not report on the signing of agreements, allocation of funds, or timelines for project launches. The discussion is currently about exploring cooperation opportunities.
Who is Roi Rosenblit and why his arrival is important
The Israeli government approved Rosenblit’s appointment on November 23, 2025, on the recommendation of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. He replaced Michael Brodsky, who had represented Israel in Ukraine since 2021.
Rosenblit was born in 1967 in Kibbutz Ginegar, studied Arabic and public policy at the Hebrew University. His diplomatic career included work in Oman, Qatar, Russia, Egypt, Senegal, and the Pacific region.
On August 21, 2026, he presented copies of his credentials to the Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Oleksandr Mishchenko. Even then, humanitarian aid, especially energy-related, Russian shelling, the memory of Babyn Yar victims, and the illegal export of Ukrainian grain from occupied territories were discussed.
On September 10, Deputy Minister Maryana Betsa discussed bilateral cooperation and interaction at the UN with him.
On October 5, Rosenblit, along with Minister Zeev Elkin and “Nativ” head Alon Shoham, met with Jewish organizations in Kyiv. At that time, the reopening of “Nativ” branches in Odesa and Dnipro was announced, and the memory of those who died on October 7, 2023, was honored.
“Nativ” is an Israeli state structure that maintains ties with Jewish communities of the former USSR and deals with repatriation issues.
What Israel has already done for Ukraine
According to the official MASHA report for 2022–2026, the Israeli field hospital “Kohav Meir” in the Lviv region treated about 7,000 patients. Seven Ukrainian children with oncological diseases received specialized treatment, 14 wounded servicemen underwent rehabilitation and prosthetics in Israel.
Ukraine received six armored “Magen David Adom” ambulances, ten water purification systems with a capacity of up to 100,000 people each, generators, medical equipment, and winter supplies.
More than 206,000 servings of hot meals were provided. Over 3,000 specialists participated in remote training, and another 250 were trained in Israel. A joint rehabilitation summit was also held.
After the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, Israel sent food and water. In Kyiv, a help point with heating, electricity, internet, and food was organized jointly with the Ukrainian emergency service. Later, the equipment was handed over to rescuers.
Why help is needed right now
On November 8, Asman reported a serious breakdown of one of the three community “Mitzvah Tanks” — mobile centers for helping residents of Kyiv and the region.
These vehicles allow people to warm up, charge phones, use Starlink, receive hot meals, medicines, and clothing. Two vehicles are almost ready for winter, the third needs expensive repairs.
More about this — in the NANews article on fundraising for the restoration of the “Mitzvah Tank”.
The word “mitzvah” in Hebrew means a religious commandment and in everyday speech is often associated with a good deed. The name emphasizes the purpose of these vehicles, which are used not only by Jews.
Whether the discussion of new missions is related to the vehicle repair is unknown. Asman did not claim this.
What might follow the meeting
In an October interview, Rosenblit spoke about seeking new areas of cooperation, Ukrainian air defense, and the Israeli experience of living under shelling. His family is also connected to Ukraine: his wife’s ancestors come from Pryluky, Chernihiv region.
The meeting with Asman shows where diplomatic cooperation can have practical continuation — in helping people experiencing war and energy crisis.
However, no specific decisions have been announced yet. The main question now is whether the discussed initiatives will turn into new joint humanitarian projects.
