Tensions in Ukraine” “We are prepared for the worst”

The situation in eastern Ukraine bordering Russia is becoming increasingly tense. Will there be a new escalation? We try to prepare ourselves for the worst as good as possible. How we do that? Read all about it in this new update from Ukraine!

Not a nice title above this article, by the way, trying to depict the situation in Ukraine. But it is the harsh reality. We are with both feet on the ground again after the special visit of the Israeli Ambassador Michael Brodsky to Vinnitsa, on Thursday, January 20.

Hiding place
Last Wednesday I read the article about Holocaust survivor Louis Polak, who was in hiding in seventeen different places during World War II. A Bible verse unknown to me caught my eye. The verse came from Isaiah 16:3, which says: “… hide the outcasts; betray not the fugitive.”.

“In 2014 in eastern Ukraine war against Russia broke out which we didn’t see coming”

Perish the thought that this verse could materialise again in the near future in Ukraine! In 2014 in eastern Ukraine war against Russia broke out which we didn’t see coming. As a result more than one and a half million Ukrainians fled to the middle of the country and to the major cities. Since the escalation more than 8,000 Jews have left for Israel via our hiding place in Kiev.

Dark clouds
Tensions are running high again in eastern Ukraine at the borders of neighbouring Russia. Still, everything is uncertain. The question whether there will be an escalation, and if so, when and how big will this escalation be? We cannot answer these questions, unfortunately, but we do see that dark clouds gather over the land of the North. It doesn’t look as if the situation will brighten in the short term.

The prophet Zachariah speaks a clear language when he says: “Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north, declares the Lord. For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, declares the Lord. Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.” (Zachariah 2:6-7).

Uncertainty
Do the Ukrainians worry about these tensions in the East? Yes and no. Many civilians try to make ends meet every month and pay their housing costs. It is difficult enough to make ends meet again every month.

“People think about what they are going to do and where they possibly might go to, should the situation get out of hand”

Still, these gloomy messages reach them as well. People think about what they are going to do and where they possibly might go to, should the situation get out of hand. People wonder whether the government and the army are capable to protect them. There are ample examples of looting and massacres when the war started in 2014.

Many Jews made sure that they have their documents handy. Many of them who planned to make aliyah this year, will try to move their journey forward. In the mean time we will continue with our work. We help Jews with practical matters in making aliyah, but we are also busy packing and handing out food parcels. These food parcels are intended for poor Jewish elderly and families in need. Our campaign “Meals on Wheels” still continues, in which elderly people receive a meal at home.

We do prepare for the worst and take precautions. In 2014 it became difficult for us to obtain large quantities of food supplies. Also in March 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, a 60,000-kilo order was blocked. We received delivery only after a week of tough negotiations.

We want to avoid these situations and therefore are already planning purchasing extra food supplies. We hope to prepare some 12,000 food parcels during the coming weeks. They can be handed out in eastern, south-eastern and southern Ukraine. The packing is done by volunteers. This is done reasonably easy, although sometimes it is a bit awkward because of long distances and the severe wintery conditions.

Have a look at the photographs, text continues below. Click on the right of the photo to see the next photo.

We hear from Jewish elderly people who receive a food parcel regularly, that these food parcels are a tremendous support in these dark and exciting days. Therefore we bravely continue to carefully pack these food parcels and hand them out with a big smile!

Friendship
The food parcels are regularly distributed among Holocaust survivors, poor families, Jewish refugees, children and the sick. A food parcel is more than a bag of food. It’s a sign of your friendship and your support, a testimony to our Jewish brothers and sisters that they are not alone.

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