Current events in Ukraine by Grigori Khaskin

I would like to talk today about current events. I believe many of you because of AGM

know my biography, life experience and aware that I was born and lived many years in

Kiev before immigrating to Canada.

It pains me to watch what is going on. My morning starts with messaging and phone

calls to relatives (I still have a few in Kiev, Uman, Odessa) and good friends, who try to

hide during bombings, missile attacks. My heart goes to my relatives in Ukraine but as

well to extended family in Moscow, and my wife’s family in St. Petersburg. They will

suffer as well – no doubt about it – because of deeds of a maniac with nuclear button,

that psychopath who blackmails the world and now attacks Ukraine – the place I was

born, where graves of many, many of my relatives are. Among them many who perished

during Holocaust.

Hate in the Russian and Ukrainian societies fumed by Putin is reaching humongous

levels. It has spilled into cyberspace, and even on the streets in Canada, Vancouver

included. “Mastering hate” is a trademark, modus operandi of all dictators – they know

how to produce internal strife, find scapegoats / “enemy within”, and start repressions

and wars with an “outside enemies” after that.

We, the Jewish people, should not please any dictators – local or foreign. We should be

true to what we are – people who want Peace, Prosperity not only for Jewish people,

but for the whole World. Ending Slavery (a digital one in our lifetime) once and for all

should be our goal. But now I am very tired of what I see with my own eyes in Ukraine,

and I afraid that it could metastasize to a nuclear conflict in no time.

Torah sages predicted that at the end of times just before Messiah’s arrival nations will

be in turmoil. Ezekiel, other prophets talk about wars, Gog-Magog war being the last

and a brutal one. If we are indeed in these times and you know a good Rabbi around

with a direct line to Messiah – can you send a message to the latter to please harry-up?