Ukraine Crisis
Call to Action
This is a space for updates, connections and practical steps, between communities in the Jewish world and Ukrainian Jewish communities.
This effort is sponsored by Hakhel, the Jewish Intentional Communities Incubator at Hazon.
Click here to get involved and stay informed
Click here to join our (silent) WhatsApp group
Click here to get a sense of Hakhel’s first delegation to Moldova
As the war in Ukraine lingers, the humanitarian crisis is only deepening. Yet, amidst this chaos, it is rather amazing to discover small heroic stories of human solidarity. One of these stories got broad publicity on e-Jewish Philanthropy. This article, by Meredith Levick, tells the story of Alona’s daughter’s voyage to Amsterdam, and how a network of communities enables such mutual support. https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/a-tale-of-two-cities
Read OLAM’s Report: “Unprecedented Response and Collaboration: Preliminary Lessons from Jewish and Israeli Responses to the Crisis in Ukraine”
Read Hakhel’s Future Plans for Our Work in Ukraine
Supporting Communities on the Ground
At Hazon and Hakhel, we have a three-part strategy in responding to this crisis:
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Local Leadership: Ukrainian leaders know their landscape and their needs. We are following the lead of Hakhel community leaders inside Ukraine and local rabbis working with refugees on the borders.
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Collaboration & Partnership: We are partnering with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the European Council of Jewish Communities, Reut, the Jewish Peoplehood Coalition, and more, coordinating our collective crisis response efforts.
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Global Response: We can all do something to help. The situation is rapidly evolving, both in terms of needs and solutions, all of which require resources and support. Sometimes our Ukrainian partners need volunteers, sometimes they need equipment, and throughout the process they need financial resources.
Here are just a few examples of what this strategy looks like on the ground:
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Following up on our weekly meeting with our Ukrainian partners, we received the list of needs from the Lvov communities and are working to deliver what they need.
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We are organizing another large shipment of food and equipment for the community in Medzyboudzh (the historical town of the Ba’al Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidic Judaism).
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Hakhel’s 11th delegation, to Budapest this time, will be leaving on Friday, April 1. The delegations bring courageous leaders to support refugees and include medical staff, therapists, educators and logistical experts.