Key leaders of next year’s Annual Community Campaign left Memphis last weekend to join their peers for Jewish Federations of North America’s campaign chair’s and director’s mission to Kiev and Israel.
Eileen Posner (part of the campaign volunteer leadership team), Sheryl Alexander (JCP’s Director of Financial Resource Development), and Cindy Finestone (Memphis Jewish Federation board member and JCP Financial Resource Developmet co-chair), join 100 other volunteer and professional “campaigners” for a first-hand glimpse of the impact our campaign fundraising makes in the overseas communities we serve. Here, Cindy describes their experiences visiting with Jews in Kiev.
By Cindy Finestone
After the horrors we learned about at the Babi Yar memorial to holocaust victims, today was spent with local people in Kiev to hear their stories about how campaign fundraising helps them live a Jewish life or helps improve their quality of life. We first went to a new JCC in Kiev and sat with delightful teens (above) in a BBYO-like program who were excited and full of hope about their future. They taught us a dance they learned at the BBYO international convention in Dallas.
Imagine being 83 and a retired head librarian for the largest library in Kiev and living on $85 a month and a small stipend from the Jewish Agency for foot and needed medications. Imagine being 83 and living in a very small apartment on the second floor with no elevator and not being able to walk very well up and down stairs. Imagine being 83 and your husband, son, and brother have all passed away and there is no other family to take care of you. Imagine being 83 and not being able to afford all the medicines and food you need. Imagine being 83 and there is no other place to go. Federation helps provides food, home care, medical attention and companionship through our partner the Joint Distribution Committee. So many people in Ukraine could not live without this support.
Imagine living in Gdansk and working at a school, hearing shelling right outside your window and wondering if your 11 year old son is safe and unharmed. Imagine deciding to leave Gdansk for the safety of your son only to have your husband and parents decide to stay. Imagine you have been lucky enough to get on the last train leaving the conflict zone even though you left all your possessions in the home you worked so hard to pay for over the past ten years. Imagine being labeled an Internally Displaced Person and having to start all over again with nothing. The perseverance of this mother and her very talented dancer son and their positive attitude was inspiring.
Imagine at age 12 asking the question: “why people hate Jews?”, only to be told by your father, “first you have to understand that you too are a Jew.” Imagine seeing the excitement of a young person who in just two days is making Aliyah to Israel. Several are pictured above and will be leaving Ukraine for Israel to make Aliyah over the next few weeks.
Imagine seeing twelve recent b’nai mitzvah young students in Kiev and watching them being blessed by two local rabbi’s. Imagine going to the local almost brand new JCC in Kiev. It is named Holam JCC, which translates to Dream. We painted with young children and danced Israeli dances with the elderly who we’re incredibly graceful and passionate.
Today our imagination became a reality as we listened to several stories of courage and perseverance from elderly clients and Internally Displaced Persons served by the Joint Distribution Committee. We also met with several young people who participate in various programs sponsored by Jewish Agency for Israel. These individuals continually thanked us for our support. But really we need to thank all of you because these programs couldn’t exist without our overseas allocation which is funded by our community.
