“War-Cry” from a Former Soviet Citizen

Return to Zion Congregation - Haifa, Israel

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Yeshua the Messiah.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

That is an extreme commandment during tragic times, at least for me.

I was born and raised in the former Soviet Union. There I managed to complete school and university, and spent two years in the Soviet Army (in a tank repair battalion in Siberia, not far from Khabarovsk and the border with China) before immigrating to Israel.

Even though the Communist Soviet Union broke apart in 1991, today’s Russian military mindset is not much different from that of its Soviet predecessor, which was “victory at any cost” – with a single soldier’s life being valued less than a Kalashnikov assault rifle.

Under Soviet rule, there was little difference between Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, and the other Soviet nations. Only Jews were kept at a distance (due to the lingering effect of Slavic anti-Semitism).

Now I watch with horror as Russia bombs Ukraine in what appears to be an all-out invasion. Before February 22, such an act was unimaginable – something I never dreamed could happen, even in my worst nightmares. It is clear that the ruling elite only care about solving their imperial “problems,” while the common citizens pay the price with their blood. I feel this problem so viscerally, that I cannot adequately express it in a page of text.

A “War-Cry” for Prayer

Dear friends, our most powerful weapon in times like these is prayer. I exhort you to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Ask the Lord God to stop this senseless war of ambition. Pray for those under attack. After being an Israeli for the last 30 years I know the feeling, having experienced three wars here. Yet, the One enthroned on High hears our prayers... Let us storm heaven with our requests!

The Jewish Kaddish prayer says, “The One who makes peace in His lofty heights, He will make peace over us…” May He bring peace to Israel, peace to Ukraine and peace to Russia.