The first complete edition of the Torah in Ukrainian has been published. A team of rabbis, translators, linguists and editors worked on the translation for two years. This was reported by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FEHU).
“The translation of the Torah in Ukrainian, which you hold in your hands, is an exceptional achievement that has no analogues in the history of the Jewish people. For the first time, the holy text of the Torah sounds in Ukrainian, inviting you to deeply comprehend its wisdom in your native language. Until now, such a translation has not been done, and this step marks a new stage in the spiritual life of Ukrainian Jews. This first-of-its-kind edition of the Torah is important not only for a separate community, but also for the whole world, ” — noted the chairman of the board of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine, Rabbi Meir Zvi Stambler.
The book contains a parallel text in Hebrew and Ukrainian, as well as additional chapters from the books of the Prophets, which are read on Sabbaths and holidays after the main reading of the Torah — Haftarot.
The project was implemented by a team led by publisher Mikhail Shifrin with the support of Mark (Menachem Mendel) Winarsky. The work was coordinated by Rabbi Levi Engelsman and Varvara Korobkova. The translation was carried out by Olena Rabinovich and Anna Chvikova, and the editorial team included Anat Brusilovsky, Igor Zalataryov, Menachem Mendel Maryanovsky and Akiva Nemoy under the leadership of Rabbi Michael Gotzel.
Olexandr Kaganovsky became the editor-in-chief of the publication. According to him, the idea to publish the book arose right now “when it became an issue not only cultural and religious, but also political”. He also emphasized that previous Ukrainian translations of the Torah existed, but the new edition is distinguished by the fact that “everything was done in strict accordance with Jewish tradition, with commentaries, with the Torah, as close as possible to the original.”
The foreword to the edition was written by the chairman of the board of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine, Rabbi Meir Zvi Stambler, who noted: “The translation of the Torah into Ukrainian that you hold in your hands is an exceptional achievement that has no analogues in the history of the Jewish people.”
The first edition — three thousand copies — was printed in Kharkiv. The books have already begun to arrive at Jewish communities throughout Ukraine.
