Amid the ongoing bloody war in Ukraine and the unique halachic challenges faced by Jewish soldiers on the front lines, Rabbi Yonatan Markovitch, Chief Rabbi of Kyiv and Chief Rabbi of the Ukrainian Prison Service, paid a professional visit to the IDF’s Shura Base in Israel.
Rabbi Markovitch is involved in the identification and burial of Jewish war casualties as part of his work with Jewish soldiers in the Ukrainian army.
During his visit, he met with IDF Chief Rabbi Brig. Gen. Rabbi Eyal Krim to learn about the IDF’s protocols for identifying fallen soldiers since October 7 and to discuss halachic issues related to Jewish soldiers in combat.
The visit was part of the rabbi’s ongoing efforts since the war’s outbreak to ensure that Jewish casualties in the Ukrainian army receive proper care and burial in full accordance with Jewish law.
Central to the discussion was the issue of burial on Shabbat, due to the Ukrainian military’s standard practice of cremating fallen soldiers — something that directly contradicts Torah law.
The rabbis discussed questions such as whether and when it is permissible to desecrate Shabbat to bring a fallen Jewish soldier to burial, and what technologies may be used on Shabbat for identification purposes.
Rabbi Markovitch also toured the military’s casualty identification facilities, which have operated continuously since October 7. He observed firsthand the advanced methods developed by the IDF Rabbinate for handling fallen soldiers with dignity and strict adherence to Jewish principles.
“The reality on the Ukrainian front demands swift and creative solutions,” Rabbi Markovitch said during the meeting.
“When a Jewish soldier falls in battle, a race against time begins to ensure a proper Jewish burial before the army’s cremation procedures are carried out. The guidance we received from the IDF Chief Rabbi today will be of great help — though we pray we will not need to use it.”
At the conclusion of the visit, the rabbis agreed to establish a direct communication channel between them to allow for real-time consultations.
