Big problems are often best solved with a series of small solutions. The suffering in Ukraine is an immense problem, with millions of people displaced from their homes, separated from friends and family; rampant unemployment and high inflation; trauma, uncertainty, fear and exhaustion experienced by many individuals, especially children and the elderly. While there is no comprehensive solution to the situation, every day we address the needs of individuals and families, alleviating suffering and restoring hope. For $100 we feed a family of four for a month, $35 covers prescription medicine, $50 pays for a therapy session or medical procedure, and $250 ensures an elderly person has shelter and food. With your help we can continue to solve the problems in Ukraine, one day and one person at a time.
Eva, 2 years old, (Pictured left) lives in a small house in Pervomaisk with her mother, grandmother, and other family members. Months ago, her father left to serve in the war. Money became very tight as her mother had to stop work because she is expecting another child in June. Further complicating matters, her uncle suffers from cerebral palsy and requires constant care from her grandmother; he lives with the family as well. Despite it all, Eva is an inquisitive delightful child. JRNU supports the family with food and necessities of all types.
Anna, 33, from Kryvyi Rih, is married with one daughter. When the war started, Anna was 7 months pregnant. She was forcibly evacuated to Western Ukraine where she gave birth to her daughter. After a few months, she returned home where she and her husband, a long-distance truck driver, struggled to make ends meet. JRNU and the local community sustain Anna and her family as she cares for her young daughter.
Ivan, from Zhytomyr, receives urgent dental treatment and Andriy, from Kyiv, experiences a sensory room to enhance his development, both treatments were provided by JRNU.
Tonight we will count the 15th day of the Omer, grateful for the many blessings we enjoy and mindful of those who are suffering.
Our work in Ukraine continues, addressing the needs of people whose lives have been changed forever. Many have lost their homes and personal belongings. Separated from friends and family, without jobs and income. We are grateful for generous donors who sustain our operations, allowing us to provide food, medical care, lodging and support of all kinds. Here are a few of the people we helped this week. Please lend your support to these lifesaving efforts.
Thank you for bringing Passover to Ukraine! Generous individual and corporate donors provided more than 50,000 people a joyous and memorable Passover; and, importantly, a much-needed respite from the stress of the war.
We appreciate the trust you placed in Jewish Relief Network Ukraine (JRNU) to help those in need; your confidence is well placed. We delivered more than 17,350 food parcels and Seder supplies to 30,000 households (60 tons of matzah, 100 tons of chicken and meat, 42,000 bottles of grape juice, and more), and we hosted 142 communal Seders around the country. Our rabbis, staff and volunteers did not rest until the job was done!
We know there are many organizations soliciting donations, we thank you for choosing us! We look forward to continuing to earn your support in the future.
On behalf of the 50,000 people in Ukraine we support each month, and the leaders, staff and volunteers of JRNU, thank you!
Thanks to individuals in the United States, Israel, Brazil, Thailand, Australia, the UK and many other countries, Jewish families will attend Seders and celebrate the exodus. From Kharkov to Lviv, Odessa to Dnipro, and all the towns and villages in between, people will have Kosher food to eat throughout the holiday. Thousands of people have given generously to those they will never meet, whose names they will never know. The care and compassion displayed on this holiday and throughout the year sustains 50,000 Ukrainians, young and old, who have no one to turn to and no where to go. Together we will continue to save lives and restore hope. Thank you for your extraordinary support.
Happy Passover!
Brooks Goldstein, from Potomac, Maryland, is having a bar mitzvah in June. In the final months of his preparation, Brooks undertook a significant and meaningful mitzvah project to help people thousands of miles away. While he was not directly impacted by the war, Brooks was drawn to the plight of the Jews in Ukraine, and wanted to help any way he could. Brooks created a strategy to raise money from his friends, classmates, family, and the community. Determined to succeed, Brooks went door to door in his neighborhood talking about the situation in Ukraine. He set up tables with poster presentations to sell items at synagogue events. He even took Ukrainian souvenirs to sell at school.
Through his hard work, Brooks raised nearly $2,000 to support the Jews of Ukraine. We are grateful for his contribution and wish him all the best on his upcoming bar mitzvah!
There is no project too big or too small for our staff and volunteers in Ukraine! From importing 98 tons of meat and 70 tons of matzah for Passover, distributing 110,000 pairs of glasses, and delivering 17,360 kosher food parcels to support communities across the country; to issuing a grocery store voucher to an elderly woman and providing after school tutoring to young children. Our network of rabbis, social workers, deliverymen and much more understand the importance of delivering aid to those in need in a manner that conveys compassion and maintains dignity.
I am Svetlana, from Chernihiv. In the early days of the war, my two children and I spent many long and scary days hiding in the basement. My son once commented, "this is probably our last day." My children and I survived the invasion thanks to assistance from JRNU. The staff and volunteers helped us escape to Chernigov, where we have received physical, moral and emotional support: food, warm clothes, candles and gas burners, and most importantly kind and words and a caring tone.
My name is Snijana, I am 13 years old. I have a mother and a grandmother--my father died after not being able to withstand this difficult war. On February 24, we did not leave Kherson; we survived the occupation of the city thanks to JRNU staff who gave us food and clothes. We were so grateful when Kherson was liberated, and JRNU was still there to help us with everything we need. Thank you very much!
I am Ada, from the village of Malaya Rogan, in the Kharkiv Region. Our village was occupied by Russian troops in the first days of the war, as we watched with horror from our cellar. After 20 days, we packed our belongings, including my two cats. With my two daughters and sons-in-law, and my grandson, we left for nowhere. First, we were hosted by kind people in the Ternopil region, who gave us food and a place to sleep. But with no work available we had to move, this time to Kropyvnytskyi to stay with friends. The Jewish community there and JRNU have been incredible: I was hired into a job and provided all means of humanitarian aid for my family. It is difficult to imagine what it is like to leave your home without clothes and shoes — just grab the cats and not know what tomorrow will bring. My house is destroyed and I have nowhere to return. Knowing I can count on JRNU for my basic needs and the needs of my family, means more than you can imagine.
Hello, I live in Dnipro with my three children: the oldest is 9, the middle one is 5, and the youngest is 2 years old. I am raising the children alone. When war broke out, we did not leave the city because my dad is sick, and I have elderly grandparents who need my help. We haven't had big explosions in Dnipro like in other cities, but we did move from the Pobeda residential area, that was close to a power plant and two bridges that cross the Dnipro River. Now we rent an apartment in a safer area, and we have been fortunate to receive critical support from JRNU including warm blankets, candles, lamps, and items for the children. When we had no light for hours on end, we were not afraid because we had LED bracelets from JRNU. We are very grateful for all their amazing help and support.
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