Yakov Pinchas Sinyakov, head of the military chaplaincy service of the 7th Rapid Response Corps of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces, spoke about his work as a military chaplain and how he provides soldiers with spiritual and psychological support. The Ukrainian Armed Forces Military Chaplaincy Service reported this.
Sinyakov is a rabbi and a Ukrainian Jew. He is married and has two daughters. He said that after the start of the full-scale invasion, he became involved in volunteer work, as well as providing psychological and spiritual assistance to the military. According to him, his work is grounded in faith in God, knowledge of psychology, and his own experience as a martial arts instructor.
The chaplain said that he reminds servicemembers of the meaning of their service, their personal responsibility, and the fact that life in the military continues even during wartime. He also prays with them and reads the Psalms of David. Sometimes, he said, the most important thing is simply to listen to a person. Sinyakov calls the servicemembers “God’s Hands in Ukraine” and says that he sees them as “knights of the spirit.”
According to Sinyakov, after speaking with the chaplain, servicemembers often agree with what they have heard, and sometimes even return to his words later, once back in their units. He also emphasized that faith and his conviction in God’s plan help him persevere in his ministry.
