“I Was Always Hungry”

IFCJ Canada  |  April 24, 2026

Holocaust survivors endured unimaginable harshness and terror. As children at the time, many of them only knew that war had come. The memories of fleeing for their lives with their families from the advancing Nazis have never left them. But what lingers most, as many will tell you, is the fear of hunger — not knowing where the next meal would come from, or whether there would be one at all. For those now living in poverty, that fear remains.

“I was always hungry. It was terrifying. The Germans were never far behind us,” said 91-year-old Leonid.

Leonid was only seven years old when he and his mother fled the Nazi invasion of Moldova in 1941. His father was sent to fight in the Soviet Army and never returned. These formative years of his life were shaped by constant fear from the bombs that fell as they traveled, and by relentless hunger, with little to no food available.

When they eventually returned to their hometown of Rybnitsa, once a thriving Jewish community, they found it devastated.

Even though the war and the Holocaust had ended, Leonid and his mother continued to fend for themselves with very little.

Leonid never had children. He worked as a mechanical engineer and served in the army before eventually moving to Kishinev, where he lives today in a modest apartment. His pension is barely enough to cover his winter heating.

“Without The Fellowship, we couldn’t manage at all. Prices go up every day. I couldn’t survive on my pension alone. If it weren’t for the support, our lives would be very difficult,” Leonid said.

Fellowship family in the Former Soviet Union provide Leonid with food, so he does not have to choose between staying warm and having enough to eat.

“I am deeply grateful to The Fellowship because, in these difficult times, your support is invaluable and helps sustain us. I wish you all the best. May your dreams and wishes come true.”

Will you give today to remind Holocaust survivors like Leonid that they are not alone—and to provide the food, warmth, and care they need to live their remaining years with dignity?