JDC (The Joint)

Chag Purim Sameach from the JDC-supported Hesed Haim social welfare center (БО "БФ "Хесед Хаим") in Sumy, Ukraine, where volunteers are baking hamantaschen for the local Jewish community.

Happy Birthday Albert Einstein! As the Honorary President of the American Committee of the Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants (OSE), which was devoted to the safeguarding of the health of Jews, Albert Einstein thanked JDC in June 1941, for helping French children escape to the United States. View the thank you letter in the JDC Archives database: https://bit.ly/3FvbIQK “Torn away from parental care and love, thrown from country to country, from place to place, delivered out to senseless persecution…having to face the dreadful confinement in a concentration camp,” he wrote. “Efforts to save these children must not slacken… I therefore turn to you with the urgent plea to keep the problem of the evacuation of the refugee children in the forefront of your attention.”

Purim is a joyful holiday because the story doesn’t end badly; Queen Esther’s bravery and intelligence saves the Jews from their imminent destruction at Haman’s hands. Though Ukraine’s Jews are enduring a very different catastrophe today — shelling, blackouts, and near-constant uncertainty — it’s their fellow Jews, like the thousands of JDC volunteers across the country, who are coming to their aid. In our latest JDC Voices Blog post, we hear from one person who helps lead these efforts — Daria E., the coordinator of JDC’s Volunteer Community in Ukraine. For Daria, the legacy of Queen Esther is all around us, showing up in the daily, unwavering, and courageous efforts of Jewish volunteers. Read the full reflection: https://bit.ly/3FwQC4v

Happy Purim from these JDC volunteers in Lutsk, Ukraine!

It’s not too late to bake delicious hamantaschen for tonight’s Purim festivities! Try this traditional recipe from JDC client Grunea Varzar in Tiraspol, Moldova. Growing up in the Soviet Union, Grunea, 85, found it difficult to live a Jewish life. Today, she's connected to her city’s JDC-supported Hesed social service center, where she receives vital assistance and has the chance to celebrate her Jewishness with pride. Here's Grunea in her own words: It's hard to explain what it meant to live in the Soviet Union. When a school teacher told us to write an essay about our home library, their aim was to find out who had any religious or other forbidden literature. That made it impossible to be openly Jewish. If you wanted to celebrate a holiday, you had to do it behind closed doors. And if you weren't careful, you could be arrested and never see your loved ones again. Those were terrifying times. But today, I don't feel scared to be Jewish — I can go to Hesed. Thanks to JDC, Hesed is my second home. Every Friday, I go to their Day Center — a place where I can socialize with friends. There, I have breakfast and take classes, as well as do embroidery, crossword puzzles, arts and crafts, and more. When I was younger, I could see my friends often. Today, I can't. Blessedly, JDC gave us smartphones as part of their JOINTECH program, an initiative that allows older Jews like me to join vibrant Jewish life from the comfort of our homes. Now I can communicate with my friends whenever I want wherever I want. Life still gets tough, though. This winter, we lost heating and hot water for weeks, and it was challenging to find myself without both. But my heater is an ancient Soviet contraption that barely works anyway — so I put on extra layers. I found a way through. And I know this much is true: I wouldn't have survived this winter — or any season — without the support of JDC. Each morning, I wake up and thank God: for this day, the sun, my life. What do I need to live well? I have clothes to wear, a place to sleep, and food on the table. That's enough. They say beauty will save the world. Wrong! I think goodness will save the world. Your goodness has helped us Jews — and I'm grateful for that.

Jewish communities across Ukraine have been getting ready for Purim at JDC-supported Hesed social welfare centers, Jewish Community Centers (JCCs), and volunteer centers — crafting their costumes, learning about the holiday's history, and, of course, baking hamantaschen. At Hesed Menahem in Kremenchuk, children from the “Breathe and Inspire” project — including those with disabilities — joined volunteers from the “Traditions with Taste” initiative to bake traditional Purim treats. The lively atmosphere, filled with the scents of poppy seeds and fresh pastries, reflected the joy of passing down traditions across generations. Meanwhile, in Odesa, the Migdal JCC became a hub of Purim preparations as parents and teens worked tirelessly to bake 1,000 hamantaschen. Teens also prepared a festive program for younger community members, while parents participated in educational classes on Purim traditions. The children of NOEK JCC’s Junior Club in Mykolaiv attended a puppet show Purim spiel that was filled with joy and laughter. They also played holiday games and danced to traditional tunes. In Kryvyi Rih, the JDC volunteer center held its annual “Bring Joy” charity event, delivering sweets and Purim gifts to elderly community members. As part of the celebration, AJT Junior participants also enjoyed Purim stories from PJ Library and created cheerful handmade cards to brighten the seniors' day. And Dnipro’s Hesed Menahem brought together approximately 15 elderly clients to revisit Purim customs, create festive crafts, and share family recipes. “We are experiencing a moment in history where the story of Purim — the triumph and resilience of the Jews in the face of those who sought to destroy them — resonates deeply,” one participant said. “Thank you for inviting us to share this moment together.”

We’re almost ready to put our winter coats back in the closet, which means it’s time to start thinking about Szarvas — the JDC-Lauder international Jewish summer camp in rural Hungary. “I didn’t know what to expect when I came to Szarvas but what it means to me currently is — it means a connection,” says Michael, an Israeli teenager who attended the camp last year. “You feel very connected to everybody, even though you’ve never met them. It feels like a big family.” Learn more about Camp Szarvas: https://lnkd.in/ezCqjXRD

Helping Jewish families is Iryna H.'s passion. Ira serves as the head of club and community programs — and director of the volunteer center — at the JDC-supported Hesed Esther social service center in Chernihiv, Ukraine. We recently caught up with Iryna, who explained why this work is so meaningful. Here's Iryna in her own words: I was 6 years old when my mother brought me into the Jewish community. It's truly my second home — and for as long as I can remember, each member has been like family to me. Today, my life's mission is to create this sense of home for other Jews, a place where they can feel something as rare as it is essential these days: a sense of safety, free from hostility and danger. Three years into this nightmare, my community needs a place like this more than ever. We serve primarily low-income families. This work involves delivering basic necessities: food, medicine, winter clothes, and more. These families come in all shapes and sizes and many of them had significant financial difficulties even before the conflict started. Today, their situation is even worse. Our support goes far beyond material assistance, though — we give these families the chance to enjoy vibrant Jewish life. Just this past summer, we hosted a camp for children and teens. And year-round, Jews aged 8-12 can join initiatives like AJT Junior, which serves as an introduction to the Active Jewish Teens (AJT) network — the JDC youth program in the former Soviet Union (FSU) in partnership with BBYO. Through these programs, we're building a better Jewish future today. The children we serve grow up and volunteer and become the changemakers we need. They teach Jewish traditions to their children. Since I was little, I admired my community leaders and wanted to be just like them. Today, these people are my colleagues. I want the children who come here to be like me — maybe they’ll even take on my position in 10 years. I want to stand alongside them and, together, continue the vital work that started long before me. Thanks to JDC and those who support us, Jewish life continues here in Chernihiv — it does not stop, but goes on, getting passed down to the next generation and giving joy and meaning to my big, beloved Jewish family.

Catastrophic flooding in Bahia Blanca, Argentina this weekend left the community’s approximately 500 Jewish families facing immense devastation. JDC responded within the first few hours, ensuring the community could provide medicine, food, personal hygiene, cleaning supplies, and accommodation for those who needed to evacuate. JDC social workers were in touch with local clients and we deployed a staff member to the disaster zone to work on relief efforts and needs assessments. JDC’s yearslong partnership with the Jewish community enabled JDC to activate quickly. “People are losing everything. This was a total collapse of the city, an absolute collapse,” said Sergio Widder, JDC’s regional director for Latin America. In parallel, JDC is coordinating the organized response with other Jewish organizations in Buenos Aires through AMIA and Tzedaka Foundation. JDC is also a member of Hosen, an AMIA-led group that coordinates emergency responses, particularly related to psychological and emotional support. Read more about JDC’s response to the flooding in Bahia Blanca from eJewish Philanthropy: https://bit.ly/3Fj0Llf

“It’s just the best feeling in the world that you have made a difference to better somebody’s life. This is what it should be about — this is being Jewish.” A select group of JDC supporters recently traveled to Latvia to witness first-hand how their support directly saves Jewish lives. Learn more about how you can travel with us and see the life-changing impact JDC makes every day: https://lnkd.in/d-aJ9urg