For the first time ever: the text of the Easter Haggadah has been translated into Ukrainian

This was reported by Project Kesher press service in Ukraine.

According to the Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities, more than 300,000 people of Jewish origin lived in Ukraine before the full-scale invasion. But despite this, all literature, particularly spiritual literature, was translated only into Russian. And almost 100 per cent of the Jewish community was Russian-speaking.

In this connection, the All-Ukrainian public Jewish women's organization "Project Kesher in Ukraine" initiated the translation into Ukrainian of the Hagada on Pesach - "For Our Freedom".

This text is a kind of script of ritual actions containing all the Pesach commandments as well as the study of certain traditional passages from the Torah and the Talmud, songs, methodical and educational moments concerning the transmission of family and religious traditions and values from one generation to the next.

We want to celebrate this Passover not only in the language given to us by our forefathers, the holy language of Hebrew, but also in Ukrainian, the language which has become a symbol of courage, will and steadfastness, the language of the land where we were born and grew up," said Vlada Nedak, executive director of Project Kesher in Ukraine. - "For Our Freedom" is a name that resonates with the state of Ukrainian Jewry, which in response to the full-scale Russian invasion has continued to form a special consciousness. Unfortunately, many Ukrainian Jews do not speak Hebrew and do not understand the prayers and texts, many have to read the text in Russian, so the translation of the Haggadah into Ukrainian has become extremely important.

It is noted that the translation project is being implemented in two phases:

• In time for the celebration of Passover in 2023, the translation will be published on https://www.haggadot.com/. Access to the text will be publicly available.
• In 2024, the text of the Passover Gaggadah will appear in a printed version with additions. The book will include written and visual comments by contemporary Ukrainian leaders, artists and poets, as well as Ukrainian Jews of the past (Bialik, Sholom Aleichem, Meir, Baal Shem Tov and Nachman of Bratslav and others) along with the classical text. The book will be published by Dukh i Letera Publishers.