Air raid sirens cut into the “First Bell” ceremony at a Jewish school in Zaporizhzhia on Monday, underscoring the danger as the Chabad-run Or Avner network opened the school year for thousands of students across Ukraine.
Staff guided parents and children into protected areas under rehearsed protocols, then resumed events once the all-clear sounded amid renewed Russian strikes nationwide.
Across the country, the first day of school, Ukraine’s “Day of Knowledge,” unfolded in shelters and basements, or paused during alerts. In Kyiv on Tuesday, children took cover in the metro as drones triggered sirens during the second day of the term, highlighting how routine schooling now pivots around air defenses.
Community outlets said the Zaporizhzhia interruption occurred during a festive kickoff at the local Or Avner school, where security teams led an orderly sheltering and classes later continued. Network administrators said faculty refreshed safety briefings this week in case of attacks during school hours.
The opening days followed a bloody weekend of Russian strikes that hit Kyiv and the south. UN human rights monitors said at least 18 civilians, including four children, were killed in a major barrage on the capital overnight August 27–28, and authorities reported a separate August 30 attack on the Zaporizhzhia region that left at least one dead and dozens injured.
Connecting to Jewish life
Against that backdrop, Jewish relief groups are scaling up back-to-school and High Holy Day support. Jewish Relief Network Ukraine (JRNU), Chabad’s humanitarian arm in Ukraine, and LifeChanger UA delivered new backpacks to thousands of first-graders and other children in need as part of the “Together to School” drive ahead of September 1. Organizers said the goal is to ease financial pressure while keeping students connected to Jewish life.
For the holidays, a Kyiv honey facility operating under the Ukraine Kashrut Committee is bottling thousands of jars for distribution alongside honey cakes, city-specific calendars and candle-lighting magnets. JRNU said trucks will crisscross the country in the coming days with tens of thousands of festive packages and additional staples such as canned goods, delivered through community centers. The kashrut committee is headed by Rabbi Pinchas Vishedsky.
Educators and community leaders say preserving routine is the priority, even if it now means beginning the year in shelters. “Schools are an anchor,” one teacher said, as communities brace for the High Holy Days under the shadow of continued alerts and blackouts. Reports from Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia describe strong turnout at school openings despite anxiety among families.