Detained Israeli Citizen to Serve as Military Doctor in Ukraine
Yonatan Karlinsky, an Israeli citizen and Breslov Hasid, was detained in Ukraine due to conscription laws and will serve as a military doctor near Kharkiv with Chabad support.
A 49-year-old Israeli citizen and Breslov Hasid, Yonatan Karlinsky, who was detained by the Ukrainian military while attempting to cross from Romania, is currently held at a detention facility in the Odessa region. According to the Federation of Jewish Communities in Ukraine (FJCU), Karlinsky will soon be assigned to serve as a military doctor near the city of Kharkiv.
Detention and Legal Status
Karlinsky, a resident of Beitar Illit and a native of Ukraine, traveled to Uman for Rosh Hashanah. During a routine document check at the border, Ukrainian military police discovered that he was subject to military conscription under local laws. Although his family attempted to secure his release, claims that he was exempt as a father of six children were proven false, as he is the father of only one child. The Ukrainian army informed the FJCU that Karlinsky is being held in Odessa, where local Chabad emissaries, including Rabbi Shneor Vigler and Chief Rabbi Avraham Wolff, have ensured his rights are protected and provided him with kosher food and holiday items.
Military Assignment and Chabad Support
Representatives of the FJCU informed attorney Shlomo Haddad, who represents the family, that Karlinsky will not be deployed to active combat zones. Instead, he will serve as a physician at a rear-echelon base located tens of kilometers away from the front lines. In a video sent via the military, Karlinsky confirmed that he is in good condition and being treated fairly.
"The fact that Karlinsky possesses medical knowledge, coupled with the Ukrainian army's growing shortage of medical personnel, means they urgently need him and cannot release him. He also served in the military in his past, before becoming religious and immigrating to Israel," the Federation stated.
Rabbi Meir Stambler, Chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Ukraine, emphasized the severity of the ongoing conflict, comparing it to an existential war and noting that the Ukrainian authorities have accommodated Karlinsky's religious needs by assigning him to a medical role rather than a combat position, with potential discussions about integrating him into the military rabinates.
