How I Helped Revive Jewish Life in Ukraine

This summer I was a participant on the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) Short Term Service Program to Ukraine with Hillel students from the University of Central Florida and University of Florida. I expected this opportunity to be a great time and thought it would allow me to travel with friends for a short summer excursion. What I never expected was that this 10-day trip would be the most unbelievable Jewish cultural and spiritual experience of my life.

In 1941, the outbreak of World War II in Kharkov, Ukraine caused the Jewish population in this community of 150,000 Jews to dwindle to a mere 1,000 Jews. The years after World War II were extremely difficult for Jews in Kharkov due to communist persecution and growing feelings of anti-semitism. After the end of communism and the start of Ukraine’s independence, Jews in Kharkov began the long journey of restoring and reviving its Jewish life. The JDC opened an office in Kharkov in 1997 to assist these efforts, building a Jewish Community Center, a Hesed Welfare Center and educational facilities in order to help strengthen and rebuild a self-sustaining Jewish community.

Before we left for Ukraine, students from both UCF and UF collected donations from friends, family, synagogues and local community centers. These donations consisted of clothing, adult diapers, Jewish paraphernalia, toys, books and games. We collected a total of one dozen duffel bags (over 600 pounds) full of goods to bring to Ukraine and donate to the Jewish community in need.



Our volunteer projects highlighted important ideas in Judiasm including tikun olam and tzedakah. Most of the individuals that we were helping were Jewish senior citizens. Many of them were destitute World War II survivors, widowed, and without families. They were all being helped by the JDC’s welfare centers, Hesed, which means “charitable deeds” or “acts of loving kindness” in Hebrew. Hesed offers multiple social services including hot meals, food packages and home care for those left with immobility, medical equipment, and winter relief for thousands of individuals. In addition, we also had the opportunity to work with JDC's program Children at Risk. This program offers Jewish education, psychologists, food packages, medical services, and winter relief for Jewish children who may be hungry, and lacking basic care.



Having gone on Hillel’s Alternative Spring Break in New Orleans, I expected to be doing similar work in Ukraine, such as insulating homes and installing drywall. However, most of the homes we visited were small, dilapidated, one-bedroom wooden houses and in need of help far beyond the abilities of 14 college students. We spent most of the time painting homes and fences while engaging in conversation about life during World War II and communism. While I didn’t realize it at the time, the small efforts of giving our time, showing interest in these individuals, and painting their homes and fences allowed me to give a gift greater than any I have ever given; our act of socializing and improving the exterior of these homes gave these individuals a feeling of importance and the opportunity to live out their final years with dignity.



While in Ukraine, we also had the opportunity to spend time with the students of Kharkov Hillel and the Jewish Community Center Beit Dan. Many of these students did not learn they were Jewish until they were teenagers, as their parents and grandparents were forced to hide their Judaism during World War II and communist rule. Many of their parents and grandparents are still fearful of practicing Judaism and are not accustomed to Jewish life. Therefore, the only Jewish education and culture these students receive is through Hillel and the JCC, which host Shabbat services, holiday programs, and cultural events. In addition, the concept of volunteerism and service to one’s community is new in Ukraine. Hillel and the JCC often help these students learn the importance of helping our community through opportunities to assist Hesed clients and Children at Risk.



This experience opened my eyes to the power of the Jewish community. As a community, we are connected to one another through the Jewish religion, history, and culture. Therefore, we have the responsibility to help one another in any way we can. Jewry has grown and flourished in the United States allowing us to forget that sometimes our fellow Jewish communities living across countries, across oceans, and across the world continue to need assistance and relief.

This program showed me just how much we are connected. We learned that the senior citizens were just like our own grandparents - kindhearted and full of endless hospitality. However, unlike our grandparents, most of these individuals were extremely poverty stricken. Despite their hardship, they did not cease to offer all they had, even if it was just two small tomatoes or a piece of candy. In addition, we learned that the children were like our own siblings or cousins, ready to have fun and full of laughter and cheer. However, unlike our own siblings and cousins, they have had to overcome below zero winters without jackets and blankets, long days without anything to eat, and years without medical care. Regardless of what they had been through, they were still loving and gentle, holding out a hand for us to hold.

Finally, our connection was strengthened and highlighted at Shabbat services as we overcame the language barrier as English and Russian were forgotten and Hebrew linked us as members of the Jewish community. We may not have the same national culture, language, or lives but we do have the same prayers of gratitude, peace, and most of all, hope.