Odessa, Ukraine – A tense and terrifying night unfolded in Odessa as a heavy barrage of rockets struck the city. One of the most severe impacts occurred near the “Mishpacha” Orphanage — a Jewish institution that serves orphaned children from across Ukraine.
According to reports from the scene, the explosion caused extensive damage to the building: windows were shattered, and a section of the ceiling collapsed directly onto the children’s beds.
Miraculously, no one was hurt.
Just minutes before the impact, the children had been evacuated to a reinforced underground shelter as part of the center’s emergency protocol.
Rabbi Avraham Wolff, Chief Rabbi of Odessa and Southern Ukraine and the director of the orphanage, described the ordeal:
“It was a sleepless night. More rockets, more sirens, another frantic race to protect the children. But last night, we witnessed with our own eyes how the shelters saved lives. Just moments before the missile landed, the children were already inside. Minutes later, the ceiling collapsed — right onto the beds they had just left.”
Rabbi Wolff added that the staff acted with speed and calm, ensuring all children were brought to safety. Since the attack, the team has been focused on calming the children and assessing the damage to the facility.
Several short videos and photos taken by teachers and counselors during the evacuation document the tense moments in the shelter.
“There’s no real way to convey the mix of fear and the magnitude of the miracle,” said Rabbi Wolff.
The “Mishpacha” Orphanage, operated under the Chabad movement, provides a warm and loving home to over 100 Jewish children — many of whom were orphaned or displaced as a result of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
This was one of the closest direct hits near a Jewish institution in Odessa since the war began.
The children are safe — but their hearts are shaken. This summer, they need a break from fear.
Your donation can help send them to a peaceful, healing summer camp where they can feel like children again.
