As the Russian invasion of Ukraine approaches its first anniversary on Friday, North American Jewish leaders at the forefront of humanitarian aid to Ukraine are appreciative of the ways Jews have pitched in.
Eric Fingerhut president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), told JNS world Jewry has been generous in a “remarkable” fashion.
“The professionals on the ground, who’ve been doing this work, are unbelievable heroes,” he added. “Most of them are Ukrainian themselves or have family in Ukraine. This is deeply impacting them.”
Many of the aid workers on the ground are themselves displaced people. “They’re still going to work every day and helping others,” said Fingerhut. “We feel for them, and we want to help support them everywhere we can. We want them to know we’ll be with them every step of the way.”
JFNA has raised $85 million for humanitarian aid and relief for Ukrainians. It has focused on emergency operational costs; temporary housing; transportation for evacuations; security; humanitarian support; trauma and medical relief; and immigration and absorption in Israel.
That sum has helped as many as 500,000 people, including providing 700,000 meals and providing medical care to 130,000, according to JFNA. It has also helped train 4,000 medical and mental health professionals and delivered 120 volunteer placements to aid refugees across Europe.
“There’s an enormous sense of pride about what happened last year—not just the emergency funds raised, but the fact that this global infrastructure of Jewish humanitarian relief and rescue that has been built and sustained was in place to react,” said Fingerhut.
JFNA has distributed funds through its partners, including the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the Jewish Agency for Israel, and World ORT. More than 85 nonprofits operating in Ukraine and neighboring countries have also participated.
As part of its widespread winter survival initiative, JDC staff and volunteers in Odesa pack and deliver heavy blankets, flashlights, food, water, and candles to help poor and elderly Jews survive the harsh winter.