U

krainian President 
Volodymyr Zelensky 
is drawing admiration 
from Jews who see him as a 
heroic figure.
A few weeks ago, Jews outside 
of Ukraine knew Volodymyr 
Zelensky as the world leader 
on the other end of the “perfect 
phone call” that resulted in 
the impeachment of President 
Donald Trump.
But now, after days of watch-
ing Zelensky balance humor 
and gravitas while rallying his 
fellow Ukrainians to rebuff the 
Russian army invasion, they 
know him as a contemporary 
Jewish hero.
“Zelensky gives modern 
Maccabee energy,
” Peter Fox, a 
writer, wrote on Twitter.

Fox was referring to the 
ancient Jews who, though out-
flanked in every way, fended off 
the efforts of foreign fighters, 
directed by a power-hungry 
ruler, to quash their indepen-
dence and culture.
That history can be seen as 
an apt comparison for what’s 
happening in Ukraine — and 
it’s one of several reasons that 
Zelensky’s leadership is reso-
nating so much with Jews the 
world over.
“
As a Jew, it is impossible not 
to feel proud of the courage, 
dignity and defiance shown by 
Zelensky at this moment,
” Molly 
Crabapple, a prominent leftist 
writer and artist, said in a tweet, 
shortly after Zelensky posted a 

video showing him in the center 
of Kyiv, defiant in the face of 
encroaching Russian forces.
In Tel Aviv, people rallying 
for Ukraine chanted Zelensky’s 
name. A tweet by a former 
Israeli speechwriter encourag-
ing people to pray for him by 
his Hebrew name was shared 
tens of thousands of times. And 
multiple memes ricocheted 
around the internet highlighting 
Zelensky as a powerful embodi-
ment of Jewish pride.
“This is Volodymyr Zelensky. 
President of Ukraine. He is 
Jewish. His grandfather fought 
Nazis in WWII. Many of his 
relatives were killed in the 
Holocaust,
” said one of them, 
shared by Good, a media com-

pany. “He is standing up to a 
dictator. Because he is brave. 
Because he knows what hap-
pens if you don’t.
”
Another, shared by the orga-
nization Stop Antisemitism, 
emphasized Zelensky’s roots 
in a family decimated by the 
Holocaust. Over a photo of 
Zelensky, the meme says, “
A 
Jewish Ukrainian family had 
4 brothers. 3 were murdered 
by the Nazis. Only 1 survived,
” 
referring to his grandfather.
Behind the feel-good senti-
ment of the memes lurks more 
complicated subtexts. Some saw 
the elevation of Zelensky as a 
Jewish hero as implying that 
others who came before him, 
potentially including Jewish 

20 | MARCH 10 • 2022 

A ‘Modern 
Maccabee’

ON THE COVER

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky 
is inspiring the world with his leadership.

PHILISSA CRAMER JTA.ORG

TOP: Ukrainian President 
Volodymyr Zelensky is drawing 
admiration from Jews who see 
him as a heroic figure.

ANADOLU AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES VIA JTA

