Dear Friends,
While the tragic war is still raging, there has been a tremendous outpouring of financial, social, emotional, and medical support from Jewish communities and JCCs the world over.
Major Jewish organizations have mobilized enormous resources and staff who are working tirelessly on the ground. However, from many conversations that we held during the last few days, we understand that still, financial help is what is most needed right now to the JCCs. The time will come, hopefully soon, when the focus will be on rehabilitation and rebuilding of the Jewish communities and absorption of refugees and immigrants in Israel and other countries. This will be the time when JCCs will be asked to help in a more tangible way and we have began planning for that.
We send again links to donations. Please consider supporting some of them, and we will send information about additional ones in a future newsletter:
JCCs/Heseds in Ukraine accepting donations:
Solomonika JCC, Dnipro, Ukraine
Hesed Bnei Israel, Kiev, Ukraine
Hesed Shaare Tikva, Kharkiv, Ukraine
Hesed Shmuel, Kherson, Ukraine
Hesed Hana, Krivoy Rog, Ukraine
Hesed Arie, Lviv, Ukraine
Migdal JCC, Odessa, Ukraine
Mazal Tov JCC, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
JCCs at neighbouring countries that help Ukrainian refugees:
Balint Haz JCC, Budapest, Hungary
Kedem JCC- Jacobs Campus, Chisinau, Moldova
JCC Krakow, Krakow, Poland
JCC Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
A letter from Dnipro
Yesterday we received this moving letter from Vadym Farber, the Director of Solominka JCC in Dnipro, Ukraine. Vadym thanked those of you who already provided help, described the unimaginable day to day reality and asks to continue our help through their fundraising campaign.
What can Jewish educators do?
Listen to this 30 minute Podcast where Leonard Petlakh, Executive Director of the Kings Bay Y and JCC Brooklyn and a JCC Global Fellow, speaks with Dr. David Bryfman, CEO of the Jewish Education Project. In addition to providing important background information, Lenny suggests ways in which educators can mediate the current reality and build opportunities to connect with Ukrainian Jewry now and in the future.
Our partners in Europe, ECJC, will hold a Zoom call on the European Jewish response to the crisis. This coming Thursday, March 10th at 12:00 p.m. NY time/ 6:00 p.m. CET time/ 7:00 p.m. Israel time. To register, please click here.
Last but not least, many of our peers in Ukraine are asking the world to do everything possible to end the war. While we usually focus on social issues, if there is anything one can do to put pressure on officials and governments, now is the time.
Praying for peace,
JCC Staff Team