print this page

Yaakov Dov Bleich, Chief Rabbi of Kyiv and all Ukraine

A United States citizen, he was born into a religious Jewish family in New York in 1964. His parents were also born in the USA: his mother's family come from Hungary; his father's roots are in western Ukraine. He is the fifth of ten children. He received an Orthodox upbringing and education: he attended Jewish kindergarten, a Jewish religious school, Rabbinical College, then he studied in Chicago, Cleveland and Israel. He always recalls his teachers with great piety: he says they taught him that the main thing is to work not just for your own benefit but for other people.

In January 1990 he travelled to Ukraine to help an organization for religious life, education and upbringing. He is engaged in creating a system of Jewish educational institutions, increasing charitable activities and care for the poor, furnishing temples and other activities. He is among those working on the creation of a whole infrastructure of Jewish community, cultural, educational and religious organizations. He coordinates the activities of twenty rabbis of Ukraine.

He had the skills to take charge of the half-million member Jewish community of Ukraine. Considering the varied conditions of Jewish life in Ukraine and the existence of a large number of leaders who do not always find a common language, observers consider that this proves his strong personal qualities, flexibility and pragmatism.

Y. Bleich is also respected by civil authorities: he regularly takes part in government endeavors, he accompanied former Ukrainian Presidents L. Kravchuk and L. Kuchma during their official visits to Israel and the U.S. Experts say he has made serious efforts to change international stereotypes of Ukrainian Anti-Semitism.

He is married with five children. He considers it his obligation to raise them with faith in God and in accord with family traditions. Anyone who has ever spent time with him confirms that in his public and family life he strictly maintains religious rules and observances. Approachable yet ironic, he freely uses Ukrainian expressions in conversation. When asked how long he'll stay in Ukraine, he always answers: «As long as necessary.»

Text adapted from the Ukrainian-language journal "Liudyna i Svit" ("The Human Being and the World"), February, 1998.