My mother’s mother came from Odessa. I don’t remember her speaking about the old country; her Russian accent was evident throughout her 100 years.

In 1976, I went on a mission to contact refuseniks in the Soviet Union. One stop was Kiev (Kyiv) where I visited Babi (Babyn) Yar, an unexceptional site — should I have expected otherwise? — where some 34,000 Jews were shot to death in two days just before Yom Kippur in 1941.

The current assault on Ukraine brings to mind the 1997 movie “Wag the Dog,” in which a foreign war is concocted to obfuscate a domestic political scandal. Russia’s merciless invasion is likewise fabricated, only this is not celluloid fiction.

We are witnessing an aggressor engaging in fabrications and heinous deadly actions that can be seen as polluting the morals and souls of Russians, Ukranians and those of many other countries. Now a pariah to most of the world, Russia is ignoring suggestions, demands, for procedures of purification for its pollutions.

On Sunday, along with more than 1,000 others on a Zoom session, Ellie and I, ​with her parents in their apartment, listened to a Reform rabbi from Ukraine who spoke from a refuge in Poland about her experience. It brought to mind images of families listening to radio news broadcasts during WWII.

Rabbi Julia Gris is a Russian who served a congregation in Odessa for years; her now teenage daughter was born there. Overnight, her being from Russia made Ukranians see her as an enemy.

She saw herself as a drop in a river of people fleeing the onslaught; like many, she carried little more than bank cards and a key to her apartment. Rabbi Gris expressed deep gratitude for the assistance from various Jewish organizations. She offered a prayer, saying, in words that have echoed throughout our history and liturgy: “God, do not forsake us. Diminish the power of our attackers,” adding, “May peace, not bombs, rain down on Ukraine.”

This past Shabbat we ended the second book of Torah, Shemot / Exodus. The Israelites have constructed the mishkan, a portable sanctuary that is both their center of worship and an earthly abode for Adonai. They are poised to willingly go where directed by their God, Adonai.

The first two books of our Tanakh /Hebrew bible contain formative tales, from the creation of the world to the creation of the Jewish people. Next, sefer vayyikra / Leviticus, details how to maintain the sanctity needed for worship and to ensure the Presence of Adonai among the Israelites. Some circumstances and actions of the Israelites can spiritually and/or morally pollute their bodies and their encampment, causing Adonai to depart from their midst. Purification rituals and procedures help the Israelites avoid that dreadful possibility.

Adonai’s pillar of cloud, illuminated at night from within by flame, was a beacon for the Israelites, indicating the Presence of Adonai guiding them through the wilderness.

May the dark cloud — fabricated of the pall autocracy, insecurity, and the smoke of fear and death — that currently darkens the skies of Ukraine dissipate soon. Then, may the Ukrainians rekindle the guiding light of their democracy.

We can hope, we can pray, we can keep up on the news. And we can help lighten the heavy load of refugees and the countries harboring them. ​Click h​ere ​for a listing of just some organizations assisting refugees.

Shabbat shalom ! שבת שלום