ReJEWvinate Moldova!A growing Jewish miracle is ablaze in humble Moldova.The phenomenon can only be appreciated amid the context of Moldovan life. As the small country continues its thirty-year trend of depopulation, Moldova’s Jewish community has likewise experienced significant atrophy. Young people and middle-aged adults are emigrating to neighboring countries in droves, seeking economic opportunity that simply doesn’t exist in their homeland. Ranking as the most impoverished country in Europe, the cost of living is untenable for the majority of Moldova’s citizens.Average Moldova household (two adults) net monthly income: $1058Average monthly cost of wintertime utilities: $216Average monthly cost of food: $248Average monthly household rent: $573These numbers were from pre-war life; in capital, the cost of food and utilities has multiplied 4x. Rent jumped as well because cost of real estate doubledIt’s grim math for a country that relies heavily on Russian gas to heat their homes during the frigid winter months. The costs of electricity and fuel of all kinds jumped with Putin’s Ukraine invasion in February 2022, and prices have yet to recover. Heat is a life-preserving commodity during the former-Soviet winters; this year is no exception. Food costs have likewise skyrocketed, rendering the majority of families unable to afford to feed themselves.Under conditions as dire as these, no one would expect a vibrant reawakening of Jewish life – but Chabad of Moldova missed the memo. Five devoted families have harnessed the Rebbe’s directives to reach every single Jew, managing to bring Yiddishkait back to life in the unlikeliest of places. Amongst a local community who viewed Chabad and Judaism as old and uninspiring, the shluchim have flipped the script: for the first time in over thirty years, Yiddishkait is relevant, engaging, and meaningful. Judaism is being ignited in the hearts and souls of local Yidden. The flagship shul in the capital city of Kishinev (Chișinău) was recently renovated, expanding to accommodate 300 neshamos for community programs and events. Hundreds more participate in the shul’s frequent food drives – starvation is real in Moldova. For elderly and homebound community members who can’t make it to the popular food drives or visit the shul’s soup kitchen (where meals are free for locals), food is delivered fresh by Meals on Wheels. A new mikvah is under construction in Kishinev, with renovations nearing completion on the original mikvah – and Nishei Chabad is already very active under the leadership of local shluchos. To further invest in the community, Chabad of Moldova offers employment to as many local Jews as possible, replacing stagnation with opportunity. How can a starving community transform decades of decline into a flourishing rebirth…The very survival of Moldova’s Jewish community is entirely reliant on foreign donations. Such is the nature of golus: poverty demands tzedakah, righteousness, from those more fortunate. It is incumbent upon those who have food to share with those who don’t, and that’s just to cover the basics. All the moreso, the cost of rejuvenating a Jewish community after decades of decline depends on funds from overseas.
— Read on charidy.com/Moldova