Ukraine Update

This is Elena Rabinovich from Kyiv. All alone. Age 77. "I couldn't even dream that in the middle of this nightmare I'd have Passover Seder with matzah. This Friday morning I didn't have even one & now in the afternoon I have enough matzah for the whole week. I am a blessed person. Thank you!!!" 

We've provided matzah to more than 1500 people. Among them Jewish communities of Belay Tserkov , Bakhmach, Chernigiv, Kyiv Obolon, Pavlograd, Boryspil.... Jews who are in the army now in Kyiv also received it.  Julia Goldenberg, Executive Director of Ukraine 2U.  (Picture--matzah arriving from Dnipro in Kyiv. Julia is in the middle)

A Passover Miracle in Kyiv
 
For Action-PSJ, getting matzah to Ukraine was another Passover miracle. It all started when one of our Ukrainian partners, Ukraine 2 U in Kyiv, asked us if we could get matzah to them in time for Passover. They had some, just not enough for all the people that wanted it. They serve Kyiv and communities all around the Kyiv region.
 
 Action-PSJ and several other partner organizations had already sent money to Ukraine 2 U to help purchase Passover supplies for hundreds of people. Now, we were hearing that people in Kyiv were without matzah. We wanted to help yet knew we could not ship matzah in time for the first seder. We reached out to Zelig Brez, Executive Director of the Jewish Community in Dnipro and our long-time partner in Dnipro, and asked for help. The Dnipro Jewish community has a matzah factory and was one of the regional distribution sites for Passover supplies.   (Can you imagine a matzah factory bag away during wartime? Click here to read about i ​​​​​​​t and here to read about the tremendous work of the Dnipro Jewish Community) .

​​​​​​​With such a great need for matzah across Ukraine, it was unsure what would be available. Our partners in Dnipro created a miracle and secured 1000kg, that’s over a ton, of matzah. They even arranged the 7+ hour trip from Dnipro to Kyiv to get the matzah to their Jewish elderly and families.
 
Despite the danger, the matzah arrived on Friday morning. As volunteers from Ukraine 2 U made deliveries across the city and throughout some of the communities around Kyiv most affected by the war, people, some in tears, would say things like, “How could we celebrate Passover without Matzah? Thank you.” “It is so nice to be remembered. Sometimes I worry the world has forgotten us.”
 
This is a perfect example of the type of impact Action-PSJ can have. Using  WhatsApp and email to communicate, Action-PSJ helped coordinate logistics despite being almost 5000 miles away and facing a 7-hour time difference.
 
During wartime, Action-PSJ quietly ensures that Jews who remain in Ukraine are remembered and not forgotten. Our food stipends, medical supplies, and matzah make a real difference in the lives of elderly Jews and their families caught in the midst of this war.
 
With our extensive network of local Ukraine service organizations and volunteers, Action-PSJ is uniquely qualified to identify and respond to the humanitarian needs of small, often elderly, Jewish communities. Even in the face of war, marked by food and medical shortages and irregular communication systems, our local volunteers, all sheltering at home and dealing with their own difficulties because of the war,  bravely continue to help their neighbors. 

We are grateful to all our partners, especially the Dnipro Jewish Community and Ukraine 2U, for this successful matzah mission. And to you, because your support makes this and more possible. 

HOW YOU CAN HELP
The foundation of Action's successful history as a grassroots organization – the ability to galvanize collective action from the local level to effect change - drives our wartime mobilization efforts. These projects are examples of this and more ways YOU can help! Be in touch if you want to organize your own drive!

• Support the work of Action-PSJ with a  financial contribution
• Subscribe to Action-PSJ’s Ukraine Emergency Updates
• Action-PSJ continuously updates the supply wish list as requests from Ukraine come in. The situation on the ground is very fluid and changes daily. We want to be prepared to ship as it is safe to do so, as the need for these basic supplies increases. We have added items to create activity kits for children and seniors. Click here for the SUPPLY WISH LIST.
• Contribute to a  Drive for Adult Incontinence Products 
• Contribute to a  Fundraiser for Menstrual Products

​​​​​​​Please share these updates with your family, friends, and colleagues.

SUBSCRIBE HERE