To Israel with Love
Dr. Allan Stillerman, Minneapolis Jewish Federation donor, and James Cohen, CEO, are in Poland on a solidarity mission organized by the Jewish Federations of North America. Representatives of a handful of Federations are seeing first-hand the incredible work our overseas partners are doing on our behalf and offering support to the courageous refugees being helped.
The highlight of today’s portion of the trip was spending time at Focus Hotel; the makeshift headquarters of the Jewish Agency for Israel’s emergency operations in Warsaw. We spent time with children being taught Israeli folk dances as a way to acclimatize themselves to their soon-to-be new home. We sat in on an info session for adults who will be leaving for Israel this week. One can only imagine the myriad things one has to worry about when getting ready for an entirely new way of life. But the staff and volunteers here answer all questions with professional aplomb and hamish kindness.
After we unloaded some trucks with supplies (including 175 pounds from Minneapolis), we spent time with families who were able to travel largely intact. (The father of a family may leave Ukraine if he is responsible for three or more children.) Their stories of escape were harrowing and not easy to hear. One woman, a doctor, had to decide on a moment's notice what possessions they could gather with the few minutes they had. They opted for making sure their Bernese Mountain Dog, Yaso, was in the car.
But perhaps the most moving moments of the day came when we met Bella. Bella is 87 years old and arrived in Poland after a volunteer drove for four days straight from her home near Odessa. This is not the first time she has had to flee Odessa. Her middle-of-the-night escape brought back haunting memories of her experiences during World War II. The fact that she must endure this at this stage of her life is tragic beyond words.
Thankfully, this time the Jewish world is able to respond—and do so with determination and purpose. Bella arrived here all alone. Volunteers are helping her at mealtime, get dressed, and prepare for her aliyah to Israel which will be before the month is out.
None of this can happen without support from communities like ours.