It has been a Shabbos full of fear and anxiety. As we tried to uplift the community with a Shabbos of hope.  We realized that our camp 350 miles west of Kyiv is no longer safe, we must leave again and go further west. The fighting in Kyiv is as intense as ever, as it has become one of the last strongholds for the Ukrainian people. The Ukrainian government has declared a Government State not allowing any men between the ages of 18-60 to leave the country expecting them to pick up arms and fight.

All of this increases the pressure on the Ukrainian population and makes it even more crucial for people — especially those with children — to be able to get out.  Motzei Shabbos we packed everything up and loaded onto our buses to continue to travel. We are moving further west toward Lvov, which is near the Polish border. It is imperative that we get near a border so eventually if we need to cross and leave Ukraine we can.  We have enough food to last for a few more days, but all shipping routes have been closed off and we will most likely experience a shortage of supplies in the near future. 

We are doing everything we can to prepare the Kyiv Jewish community. We’ve stocked up on all the non-perishable food and the meat was just delivered right before Shabbat. All of this, of course, requires funding.

Our once self-sufficient community has no choice but to ask for outside help to cover the monumental expenses we’re facing now. And it’s not just those who are evacuating. We need to provide for those who, for their own reasons (like people in assisted living facilities) cannot leave. Besides daily necessities, we have seven buildings that require armed security details. 

Hundreds of thousands of dollars are needed to finance this effort to provide our Jewish brothers and sisters with basic necessities during this crisis. Lives are at stake, and it is within your ability to help. Please donate generously to support our brethren as they race against the clock to evacuate and keep our people safe in the face of the Russian invasion.

Help us to support Ukrainian Jewry in their time of need.