Ukraine’s Jews Need Our Help

Andrey and Victoria lived in Gorlovka, a small town in eastern Ukraine, for many years, dreaming of being able to express their Jewish identities openly without fear of being stigmatized. And they desperately wanted their son, German, to grow up somewhere he could feel proud of being Jewish.

They began to carefully plan their move to Israel, but when violence broke out in their region last summer, their carefully crafted plans changed.

Andrey, Victoria, and German were on a short trip with Andrey’s mother when they heard the news that Gorlovka had been bombed. The town was without electricity, businesses were shut down, and they had no access to their bank account. Their home was no longer safe and they knew they had to leave for Israel right away. But the airport in nearby Donetsk was also bombed and no longer functioning. They had no idea what to do.

When things seemed the most dismal, The Fellowship was there to help. After helping the family return to their house to gather their most important belongings, The Fellowship provided temporary housing for them in central Ukraine while making plans for their emergency aliyah.

They arrived in Israel this past fall, and they are getting settled while living in a Fellowship-supported home. There, they receive low-cost temporary housing, Hebrew lessons, guidance on employment and Israeli culture, and, most important of all, the knowledge that they are safe and welcome, thanks to friends from all over the world.

You can be that friend to other Jews in Ukraine who are in dire need of help to escape the chaos that has descended on their homes and neighbourhoods. Be a Friend of The Fellowship and help make our next Freedom Flight a reality – and a lifeline for Jews like Andrey and Victoria, who have nowhere else to turn.