The Albany Gazette - Ukraine's chief rabbi sings plea to Trump to side with Kyiv

The video of the influential rabbi singing was published on social media in recent days, edited with images of destruction in Ukraine, while the 59-year-old appeals to the US leader.

The rabbi, who has spent more than three years denouncing Moscow's invasion, published the clip as the United States expends effort trying to mediate between Russia and Ukraine.

Trump is pushing for both sides to agree to a ceasefire and a peace deal but Moscow has launched a series of deadly attacks on Ukrainian cities this spring.

In an interview in Kyiv's main synagogue, Azman told AFP he wrote the song "in a few hours" after visiting the site of a Russian missile attack on Kyiv last week that killed 13 people.

There, the religious leader saw "the dead, the wounded and much destruction".

"With music, we can say things that cannot be told in words," he said.

Ukraine, whose leader Volodymyr Zelensky is of Jewish descent but not practising, is home to one of Europe's biggest Jewish communities.

In 2023, Ukraine was home to 45,000 Jews. That figure was higher before Russia invaded in 2022.

- 'Open your eyes' -

Since taking office, Trump has made some favourable statements on Moscow and President Vladimir Putin, making Kyiv fear it will be forced to make unfair concessions to the Kremlin.

Trump has also expressed frustration at Putin in recent days, and called on him to "stop" deadly attacks on Ukraine.

Azman decided to step in.

"You are the one, the world is watching you. With every step, with everything you do... Don't let the lines of right and wrong grow thin," he sings in the video.

He said he decided to appeal to Trump as the "world's most powerful man" to "open his eyes to what is happening here", hoping that the US leader will see the clip.

The Trump administration has not answered the appeal.

But rabbi has not lost hope.

Like many Ukrainians, Moshe Azman has also suffered loss during the war: one of his adoptive sons was killed fighting Russia in September last year

He has also slammed Putin, who accuses Zelensky of supporting neo-Nazis, one of the Kremlin's pretexts that was used to launch the invasion.

"They always lie," he sings in the clip, adding: "The throne of the tsar is built on fear and hate.... They don't want peace, they want just blood and fire."

After a Vatican meeting with Zelensky this month, Trump questioned whether the Russian leader wanted to end the war.

Azman's outspoken position against Moscow's invasion has drawn the ire of Russia’s chief rabbi Berl Lazar, who is a staunch supporter of Putin.

(Y.Harris--TAG)