Jewish Federations have collectively raised $50 million to date for Ukrainian relief efforts since the fighting began. The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh has raised $1.67 million and has used $400,000 of our $500,000 match to date.
Thirty-five NGO’s are coordinating the relief efforts, including our Jewish Federation partners, The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), and World ORT; as well as United Hatzalah, Hillel International, Nefesh B’Nefesh, HIAS, the Israel Trauma Coalition, Hadassah Medical Organization, Chabad, Shma Yisrael, Project Kesher, JCC Krakow, the Emergency Volunteer Program and others.
Jewish Federations host half-hour webinars twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, to update audiences about the rapidly evolving situation in Ukraine.
Jewish Federations have brought over 100 Jewish communal leaders from around North America to the Poland Ukraine border on a series of humanitarian aid delegations, to provide relief to refugees and to evaluate the ongoing needs on the ground.
Jewish Federations launched the creation of a first-of-its-kind central volunteer hub in support of refugees fleeing Ukraine. The first two cohorts have now returned from Poland and Hungary where they provided humanitarian assistance, aided olim in their immigration process and cared for children. The initiative is being run in partnership with the Jewish Agency, the JDC and IsraAID. “At the border, you will see lots of different signs and symbols, for the Jewish Agency, for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and other agencies,” Jewish Federation of Columbia Executive Director Ana Sazonov said in this interview with Algemeiner Journal. “There are so many Israeli flags and Israeli volunteers. It really warms my heart to see the flag of Israel flying there.”
Sazonov was also featured in an article in NBC News on her personal story that led her to volunteer in Poland with the Jewish Federations. In addition, she was interviewed by Fox News’ Cavuto Live about the preparations for Passover with refugees. Jewish Federations lay leader Alina Spaulding spoke on local Fox News and CBS News channels on her experiences volunteering with Jewish Federations in Hungary.
To volunteer for this program (please note that only those who speak Russian and/or Ukrainian are being selected at this time), click here. For a list of FAQ’s, click here. For more information, email Sarah Eisenman.
Thousands of refugees celebrated Passover at seders in Moldova, Hungary, Poland and Romania. These celebrations were sponsored by the Jewish Agency and JDC in partnership with Jewish Federations. Chabad offered seders in Ukraine, while the Jewish Agency hosted seders for recent Ukrainian olim in absorption centers around Israel. JDC shipped large quantities of matzahs, grape juice and kosher for Passover food for use by refugees in Poland, Moldova, Hungary and Romania.
The Jewish Agency and JDC have both established emergency hotlines to assist the Jewish community in Ukraine. For more about JDC’s efforts, see here; for those of the Jewish Agency, see here.
Below are some striking examples from the work of our two primary partners, the Jewish Agency and JDC:
- 34,000 people have been served through the JDC
- 2,415 people have received medical assistance
- 12,276 people have been evacuated to other countries
- 1,800 people have been treated using telemedicine at Israel’s field hospital
- 11 emergency hotlines have been set up
- Over 11,500 olim have come to Israel from Ukraine and Russia through the Jewish Agency
- 18 facilities have been operated at 5 border crossings
Jewish Federations have activated our emergency protocols and are working closely with the Government of Israel and our partners to do everything in our power to support efforts that ensure the safety and well-being of the entire Jewish community in Ukraine, as well as to provide as much general humanitarian aid as we can.