Ukraine

The Jewish people of Ukraine, who have resided in the capital city of Kiev since the tenth century, have a long and often painful history.

The Jewish population in Ukraine is presently the fifth largest in the world with about 300,000 people. Sadly, Jewish life in Ukraine is in many ways a shell of its former self. Since the fall of communism, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian Jews have left the country. Poverty is now a way of life for many who have remained, and of these, a considerable number are elderly. They are an ageing population with an average age of 45.

Chosen People Ministries has been active in Ukraine since the early 1990s when a Messianic congregation sprang up in Kiev and leaders began to emerge to carry the work forward. The society expanded its presence to the city of Kharkov in 1994 when Alexander Sereda, a Christian minister with a vast love for Jewish people, helped to start our Messianic congregation there.

Since then, our ministry has been extended throughout Ukraine through the gifted service of Alexander Dukhno, another Chosen People Ministries staff member. One of our activities has been to offer seminars on Jewish evangelism and serving Jewish people at local evangelical churches. In this way, we have been able to expand our work to the city of Kherson, which is in southern Ukraine.