Due to an electricity shortage in the country, special generators which were recently sent to Ukraine's Jewish communities are assisting in the lighting of the large menorahs which are erected every year in the center of towns and next to synagogues.

Over the past few weeks, the community rabbis and Chabad emissaries prepared for Hanukkah. One of the more challenging tasks was erecting the large menorahs, as is the custom, in the town squares. How do you light an electric menorah without electricity? The solution: the generators which were recently provided by JRNU, Chabad of Ukraine's rescue center. The generators provide electricity to the synagogues, where many Jews come to warm up.

Even the fear of holding Hanukkah parties during a war was overcome in most cities after the authorities permitted the communities to organize them out of the will of continuing as usual and after the rabbis published a campaign teaching that the light fights off the darkness and can give the people of Ukraine hope for the future.

Over the past few days, giant menorahs were put up in city centers. "Our mayor asked to join our lighting of the first candle which we are doing in a dark military area," says Rabbi Avraham Wolf, chief rabbi of Odessa.

"They won't break us," Wolf adds, "Despite the war, despite the darkness and the cold, even though the memorial has been covered in the sand since the start of the war, today we put up a menorah which symbolizes the victory of the light over the darkness."

The community rabbis received special reinforcements this weekend: 26 students from Chabad yeshivas around the world flew to Ukraine to help with the Hannukah activities and cheer up the country's Jews.

Over 40,000 Jews are expected to participate in the Hanukkah festivities across Ukraine, during which the local rabbis will distribute menorah kits containing special items that are connected to the holiday.