THE ACTIONS OF THE LVIV JEWISH COMMUNITY IN 2022 TO THE SIEGE OF UKRAINE BY RUSSIA
The Union of Councils for the Jews of the former Soviet Union (UCSJ), the Boston Jewish Community (including Action for Post-Soviet Jewry) and the Lviv religious Jewish community (Truei Zagav) joined to support forcibly displaced persons in the city of Lviv. For almost a year, citizens who have moved to Lviv from various settlements of Ukraine which are under occupation or in territories where active hostilities are taking place can receive necessary assistance.
Continuing the work of one of the most famous Jewish righteous people who was born in the village of Sasov (Lviv region), Rabbi Moshe Yehudah Leib Erblich, our organization UCSJ now led by Meylach Sheykhet takes care of the families of immigrants who come to Sasov from the occupied territories. At the expense of the UCSJ, two hundred fifty internally displaced persons are provided with daily full meals in the form of food kits.
Seven days a week, even on Sabbath and Jewish holidays, the doors of the office and prayer hall at 27 Fedorova Street are open for refugees.
The work of our organizations does not stop even under the difficult conditions of power and heat outages. We feed people using candles, flashlight and alternative power devices and try to arrange everything for individual comfort. The people receive hot food all of the time, regardless of the outages. They come to us not only to eat drink hot tea or coffee, or to recharge their phones or flashlights, but to feel that their life can return to normal.
We are often contacted by forced migrants who have illnesses and need medicine, but cannot provide for themselves. Here, we help them partially or fully compensate the cost of medical drugs. In the autumn-winter season when lung diseases are present, people turn to us for anti-cold and prophylactic measures.
Specific Examples:
Mr. Mykola, a diasbled person with diabetes, constantly turns to us for necessary medicines and dressings. He was given financial assistance for the purchase of medicines, healing agents and dressing materials.
Ms. Zoyz, a seventy-year-old woman from Kharkiv turned to us with a request for support after a severe case of Covid. She was given financial assistance for the purchase of medicines.
Mrs. Nadia and her family were looking for an opportunity to get vaccinated against Covid. We provided information about the vaccination site and helped her to find the easiest procedure.
If necessary, a lawyer helps displaced people by providing advice on the possible employment of internally displaced persons. We also have an information center in which we provide information on how and where to restore lost documents and issue a migrant's certificate. We also provide information about shelters where people can live for free and about medical institutions and internal organizations that help displaced persons in the territory of Lviv. There are no other organizations that provide these services in Lviv.
Internally displaced persons: One of the areas of activity is a project in which we record the people who were forced by the war to leave their homes and seek refuge in Lviv. Their psychological and emotional states are studied, and psychological help is provided during the interview. The stories of these Ukrainians who need help after the horrors they experienced are listened to and the resolution of their problem is recorded.
In November 2022 we received humanitarian aid from the Yehudi Gatsal organization. Fish, chickens, buckwheat, rice, etc. were distributed. We are very grateful for such necessary goods.
We feel that you should know that 250 displaced people turn to us for help every day. As of December of 2022, thirty-three thousand portions of lunches and breakfasts have been distributed.
Our principal method of communication is a personal approach for each person. The approach is reflected in personal services. We provide these services without regard to the religion of the recipients. We are proud of the fact that we are the only organization providing these services in Lviv.
For further information Meylach Sheykhet can be reached at https:\\www.facebook.com\meylakh.sheykhet
Larry Lerner, UCSJ President, ucsj@ucsj.org, lilerner3215@gmail.com
