Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg and the former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams are to travel to a Ukrainian refugee camp to express solidarity with the country’s embattled civilians.
The delegation, which also includes Bat-Ayin Chief Rabbi Daniel Kohn and Mustafa Ceric, the former Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina, will visit refugee camps and the city of Chernivtsi in the west of Ukraine.
The leaders will share their experiences of maintaining spiritual wellbeing under difficult circumstances, as well as displaying their friendship with the people of Ukraine.
Writing on Twitter earlier this week, Masorti Judaism UK Senior Rabbi Wittenberg said he was “appalled by the shocking evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine.”
He added: “Poor, grief-stricken families! This brutal, treacherous cruelty against people whose country was murderously attacked for no reason, must not be wrapped away in silence.”
A series of talks and performances are set to be held at Chernivtsi’s main theatre in homage to the devastation unleashed upon the southern city of Mariupol by Russian forces.
In the first public event held at the theatre since the Russian invasion began, the faith leaders will address refugees and other citizens impacted by war.
Their words will be accompanied by live musical interludes from faith institutions outside of Ukraine, testimonies from refugees, and interactions with audience members.
Rabbi Goshen-Gottstein, who organised the event, said: “To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time ever that an interfaith delegation has undertaken a mission of friendship and solidarity, in entering a country at war.
“This is all the more remarkable considering the high level of religious representatives.”
The event will be streamed live to audiences across Ukraine and around the world.
Also joining the delegation will be Archbishop Nikitas Lulias, the Orthodox Archbishop of the UK, Italy’s Grand Imam Yahya Pallavacini, French Hindu leader Swami Sarvapriyananda, and Abbess Sister Giác Nghiêm, a French Buddist.
