Building Anatevka

The community of Anatevka near the Ukrainian capital Kiev has been created to especially welcome Jews from war-torn Eastern Ukraine. Construction started in 2015, and it was named after a hometown of Tevye the Dairyman, from the musical "Fiddler on the Roof". There is no requirement for the refugees who settle in Anatevka to be observant Jews. Many of them had no chance to practice their religion in what was then the atheistic Soviet Union. Olga Smirnova follows them as they observe Jewish religious festivities, attend the Torah lessons and prepare for the opening of the new religious school for boys. Olga speaks to the new arrivals and those who have already settled in Anatevka. She talks to the founder Rabbi Moshe Azman about the aims of the project and its benefits. What are the particular difficulties about building a new community?

Olga explores how this community interact with other Ukrainian villages nearby. As we spend time with this unique project for a permanent Jewish home for those fleeing war, we hear stories of the refugees and learn about the military actions in Eastern Ukraine that forced many to leave their homes.

Photo: Building the Cheder Credit: BBC