ڪيترائي نوان يوڪريني اسرائيلي: واهه!

This is a contribution submitted to scream.travel worth sharing. The war in Ukraine also brings out the best part in people.

It explains how Ukrainian jews fleeing their home country can become immediate citizens of Israel. This story is contributed to Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner.

In 1979, 43 years ago, Ilan (then Cliff Halperin) went to the USSR including Kyiv and Yalta, in Crimea, to find Soviet Jews who had applied to emigrate and were held by the Soviets. (Refuseniks).   His son, now a doctor in Jerusalem, is Erez:

Here is a newsletter sent out by Rabbi David Kirshner from New Jersey who just returned from a synagogue humanitarian mission.

The newsletter reads:

Today is our last day on our humanitarian mission. It has been a holy experience to be with members of our Kaplen JCC leadership, Congregation Ahavath Torah, and the JFNNJ. I have learned from each soul who is with us and this moment of unity is special. I hope it is replicated as often as possible. 

We departed Krakow VERY early via speed train to Warsaw. We gave all of our extra supplies and snacks to the Archdiocese Kiosk set up in the railway station to give to incoming people who are part of the refugee crisis. 

Upon arrival in Warsaw, we immediately went to the Focus Hotel, near the center of Warsaw. This is a lovely, 4-star hotel with nice accommodations, modern furniture, and great Wi-Fi. The hotel, along with 4 others, has been leased by the JDC and JAFI to house people who identify as Jewish and have fled Ukraine with the hopes of making Aliyah to Israel. 

The hotel has nicer accommodations than most of the Ukrainians have ever witnessed. Most of the people who have fled have never been abroad. That means they never left their country! This was palatial for many of them.

At the hotel, about 300-400 people are living freely. While there, the Israeli government has established a hospital, fully staffed and has also established a mobile consulate to speed-process citizenship for each person.

There have been almost daily flights to Israel – mostly chartered – with about 220 people on board. Upon arriving in Israel, they immediately receive an Israeli Passport and earn full citizenship. They then go to an absorption center that begins the process of integrating them into Israeli society.

Some people are processed in days in Warsaw. Others take longer.

At the hotel, there is a battery of health care workers who have flown in from Israel that give medical aid. The next traunch of medical support must be emotional caregivers. The trauma and stress are unthinkable for kids, adults, and people who left loved ones behind.

We met a doctor who said, “imagine, that if you are Ukrainian and Jewish, you are called lucky, because you can be absorbed into a lovely hotel and make your way to Israel.” That was not always the case.

We met two sisters at the hotel who made Aliyah to Israel about 20 years ago but their ‘mamma’ stayed in Kyiv. When the war broke out they immediately flew to Warsaw. With the help of JDC and JAFI and JFNA, the ‘mamma’ got out 2 days ago. The sisters were reunited with their elderly mom. She is being afforded the chance to make Aliyah and live with her daughters again. 

We met many other people who each made our eyes water. Most capturing for me was a 3-year-old girl named Mira, who was waiting while her mom filled out paperwork for her and herself and her baby sister. While waiting, Mira and I enjoyed a fun game of “give me five…..up high…..down low…..tooooo slow.” Apparently, that is funny in all languages! 

We then met a beautiful 11-year-old, dancer with long red hair. She was adorable with lots of spunk and moxie. She would regularly interrupt the interpreter to explain that whatever part of the story she was telling was most critical. 

She shared with us, that when the sirens blared, they packed a bag and left quickly. They did not bring their family cat, named Messi. She explained the long and harrowing detail of the travails of Messi and how he got lost and was found but it was the wrong cat and how she cried every night worrying about her cat. She was relieved to learn her cat was found and is being reunited with her later this week. 

We ate lunch at the hotel, with people involved in the refugee crisis. They are served 3 hot meals a day and snacks regularly, all at the expense of the Israeli government. Amazing!!

From the Focus hotel, we went to the JCC in Warsaw. There we met with Magda Dorosz who is the head of Hillel Poland to learn about the work she and others in Warsaw are doing – which is amazing.

At the JCC Warsaw, we met with a young woman who miraculously escaped Kyiv 2 weeks ago with her boyfriend who works for Chabad. She hopes to go to Israel and then Canada.

After that, we met with Rabbi Michael Schudrich, Chief Rabbi of Poland. We learned about the “what now – and what next” scenario. Rabbi Schudrich explained that as soon as the war broke out a Crisis Management System among all of the Polish Jewish network agencies was established. They were all flummoxed since it was the first time in 80 years that the Jews of Poland were not in the ‘crisis’ and were part of the ‘management.’ 

We learned about the plans for a communal Seder in Warsaw for local Jews AND people from Ukraine and ways we can be helpful from Bergen County. More on that later. We also learned about other initiatives the community will be engaging in to bring emotional and mental support to people who have fled Ukraine. 

Tomorrow morning, super early, we board a plane back home to New Jersey. We traveled here with 8740 lbs of materials. We return with only carry-on luggage but lots of emotional baggage to process. It will take us time to do so. 

I encourage you to join us this Shabbat when participants from our mission and I, briefly share our reflections with you and how we can mobilize moving forward.

know it sounds trite – but I swear it is heartfelt – each and every one of you has been with us every step of this journey. When I was informed today that a few thousand pounds of supplies arrived today in Lviv and in another town in Ukraine, near Mariupol, it brought a smile to my face knowing YOU made that happen. Thank you.
I also want you all to know that the appreciation from the people of Ukraine AND the Polish leadership and citizenry knows no bounds. Thank you for being holy people engaged in holy work. 

Pray for a safe flight home for all of us. Pray for the safety of those who left Ukraine and those still there. Pray for peace. Pray that hope burns brightly. 
With much love and appreciation,

Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner