Tuesday August 18, 2009

Hello Everyone!

On Tuesday we traveled from Konotop to Sumy. In Sumy we went to a JDC sponsored family camp. The camp was filled with adorable little kids running around a colorful playground. After dinner we gathered in the cafeteria with the Jewish families and our Ukrainian peers. The teenagers in the camp performed for us…they had amazing voices! During their performance, we were able to get up close and personal with the Jewish families in the camp.

Ivy and I sat with a family that included a mother, father, a teenage son, and their beautiful little daughter. Also at the table was an 18 year old with his grandmother. One of our Ukrainian peers sat with us to translate. I really enjoyed this activity because the Ukrainians were just as interested in our lives as we were in theirs. I was shocked to hear that these people hide their Jewish identity…only their close friends know that they are Jewish. They were happy to hear how in American we live amongst all different kinds of people in peace. I can’t even imagine living a life where I had to hide my Jewish identity. I really loved the discussion I had with these families. They wanted to exchanged email addresses so we can keep in touch. They also walked me to the bus to say goodbye as we departed back to Kharkov for the rest of the week. I was really touched by the connections I made that night. It made me appreciate the Jewish life I live in America and I'm very happy to be in Ukraine volunteering my time. This trip has been amazing and I will always remember these moments in Ukraine!

xoxo,

Marissa