Following a speech by the Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Yoel on Monday, during which he said that the situation of the Jews in Ukraine is “pikuach nefesh docheh Shabbos,” Satmar askanim met and transferred $5 million to establish a hatzalah committee.

Additionally, a delegation of four askanim is leaving New York to Moldova as early as Thursday morning. At a meeting in Brooklyn on Sunday of representatives of various Chassidish communities, it was decided that a delegation from New York would travel to the border crossings and refugee sites near Ukraine to assist Jews.

Apart from assisting with food and shelter at Ukraine’s border crossings, the askanim will work at settling Jews in communities in Romania, Poland, Hungary, and other nearby countries.

The members of the hatzalah committee have also been working on assisting the Ukrainian Jews who immigrated or will immigrate to Israel, working with Israeli askanim to rent hotels for temporary housing until communites and mosdos can established.

The Satmar Rebbe visited Monsey on Monday to attend a kenes, and while there spoke about the situation of the Jews in Ukraine and the urgency for US Jews to assist them.

The Rebbe noted that both Russia and Ukraine have “a long and terrible history in everything related to their behavior toward Jews.”

“The persecution of the Russians against Jewish children and then the ‘klipah’ of Communism. The Russian tzar poured his wrath on Jews, there were pogroms in many Jewish cities. My father, z’tl, told me that the US opened its gates to a million Russian Jews who fled from Russia at the time of World War I. Communism wreaked destruction on the Jews in Russia and Ukraine.”

“In more recent years, large Jewish kehillos developed in Russia and Ukraine. There are many Jews who are Shomrei Torah v’mitzvos, shomrei Shabbos – I saw it when I was there. People undergo a bris at an older age. I was a sandak there. It’s a wonderful thing.”

“We must know that Jews are fleeing from there now, they’re fleeing – women and children. I received information about what’s going on there. It’s like 80 years ago when our parents went through hard times and later asked, where were the Jews in America? Rabbosai, we US Jews need to act!”

“They’re not allowing men aged 18 -60 to leave there. It’s pikuach nefesh docheh Shabbos. Every goy is walking around there with weapons they receive from the authorities to fight with Russia. They released all the prisoners from jail so they can fight against the Russians. These former prisoners are wandering the streets. Jews are afraid to be on the streets and this is beside the missiles falling on them.”

“American Jews must help them! If the Rebbe, zichrono l’bracha was alive, what would he do now? He would gather askanim and begin to save Jews. There are Jews fleeing to Romania, Poland, and other countries. We must worry about everything for them. Klal Yisrael must not stand aside and listen to news and not do anything.”

“It’s forbidden for us to stand aside! They’ll ask us where we were. I’m now in Monsey but I’m speaking to Klal Yisrael. Klal Yisrael must take responsibility. Hashem should help that we’ll be able to act for our brothers in Ukraine, and we won’t hear about any more tzaros.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)