JDC Rocks Kharkov!

Tuesday August 18, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:15:00 +0000

Hello Everyone!

On Tuesday we traveled from Konotop to Sumy. In Sumy we went to a JDC sponsored family camp. The camp was filled with adorable little kids running around a colorful playground. After dinner we gathered in the cafeteria with the Jewish families and our Ukrainian peers. The teenagers in the camp performed for us…they had amazing voices! During their performance, we were able to get up close and personal with the Jewish families in the camp.

Ivy and I sat with a family that included a mother, father, a teenage son, and their beautiful little daughter. Also at the table was an 18 year old with his grandmother. One of our Ukrainian peers sat with us to translate. I really enjoyed this activity because the Ukrainians were just as interested in our lives as we were in theirs. I was shocked to hear that these people hide their Jewish identity…only their close friends know that they are Jewish. They were happy to hear how in American we live amongst all different kinds of people in peace. I can’t even imagine living a life where I had to hide my Jewish identity. I really loved the discussion I had with these families. They wanted to exchanged email addresses so we can keep in touch. They also walked me to the bus to say goodbye as we departed back to Kharkov for the rest of the week. I was really touched by the connections I made that night. It made me appreciate the Jewish life I live in America and I'm very happy to be in Ukraine volunteering my time. This trip has been amazing and I will always remember these moments in Ukraine!

xoxo,

Marissa

Working in Konotop: Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:22:00 +0000

Day two in Konotop started with the UCF students and the Ukranian peers waking up and enjoying a breakfast at the Konotop Hesed. After breakfast, we proceeded to break up into groups and visit the homes of a few of the elderly members that receive goods and services from nthe Hesed. Immediatedly after this, the group had lunch again and began work at the Hesed.

At the Hesed, the UCF students and the Ukranian peers worked together on everything from picking pears and apples and making juice, to chopping wood and laying down new flooring. This was a really great experience for all of us as we were able to work together and create a special bond that would continue to grow throughout the trip.

After the long and hard days work, the students and peers again came together to have a "restaurant cookoff" for dinner. This cookoff consisted of breaking everyone into three groups and giving each group the same ingedients, a lot of which came from the fruits and vegetables that we had picked earlier in the day. Each team was responsible for creating their own dish from the ingredients which again helped the entire group to create a much deeper and long last connection. Once all of the dishes were completed, the entire group proceeded to each and celebrate throughout the night at the Hesed with music and dancing. This was especially meaningful to me as I really felt that I had helped out a community and that I had done something that I could feel very proud about.

Jon

2nd Day in Konotop:

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:00:00 +0000

A few days ago we found ourselves in Konotop. Although the first day in Konotop we spent our day picking potatoes and fruit for the Hesed, today was spent a little different. We spent a lot of time learning all about the special services that that the Hesed provided including home care, food, and other needs for the elderly within their Jewish community. Today our group were privileged with getting to meet, interact, and help three of the older community members which was so amazingly fulfilling.

Personally, I went to visit a 80year old man named Gregory, who called himself by his Yiddish name Hershel the whole time which I thought was just the cutest. Here he is living in a community with a very small population of Jews or anyone that can even speak Yiddish, and he’s all about being called by his Yiddish name. He lived in a two bedroom home with his Ukrainian wife who was not herself Jewish. As we walked into his yard filled with the most amazingly beautiful flowers I had ever seen, Hershel greeted us all with a huge smile and kind handshake.After our first hellos he asked us to help him with his garden.

Together, all of us girls picked and carried buckets full of apples to there trash site that were rotting on his beautiful garden floor. We may have gotten attacked by a few creepy crawlers but it was so worth it in the end seeing how happy he was sitting with his wife in the backyard watching us clean his garden. He looked sat there anxiously with an arm full of bright red apples to give all of us for our job well done (I’ve never seen someone so excited to give me a piece of fruit).After all of our hard work we got to sit with him & his wife. We learned that he was born and raised in the Ukraine, met his wife abroad (also from the Ukraine) while in the army, & when he came back he worked in an upholstery factory. He had two sons one who had sadly just recently died in Israel. He was very interested in the economics of America and their factories mostly when we spoke. Also mentioned was that he & his wife were going to be celebrating their 55th anniversary in November. I thought it was so amazing that 2 people could love each other for such a long time.Before we left, Hershel gave all 6 of us girls a special rose from his garden which he had grown himself. He gave each of us what Sarah & I describe as: “The best hug we’ve ever had in our entire lives”. He was so warm and caring. They were so appreciative that it brought tears to most of our eyes. As we said our goodbyes and mazol tovs on their anniversary I couldn’t help but think I may never see them again, but I know that all of us would never forget each other or our experience.

Love to all!

Erica Rosenstien

Thursday August 13th and Friday August 14th

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:37:00 +0000

Priviet! (Hello in Russian)

We FINALLY made it to Ukraine! After delayed flights and hours in the Moscow airport, we arrived safely in Kiev! As soon as we arrived we started our journey with a six hour bus ride to Kharkov. We arrived around 7 am to the sight of Hotel Dynamo! We jumped off the bus and quickly began our day. We were surprised by all of our new Ukrainian friends at breakfast when they sang and presented us all with roses!

Once we all finished breakfast, we started with a tour of the city and got to see many different national monuments. We then went on a tour of the Hesed, a Jewish welfare center. We were delighted to be able to hand out over 20 packs of crayons to children participating at the Hesed. Their faces lit up when we handed each of them a pack of crayons! We were also able to spend time with the elderly clients of Hesed and were lucky enough to sing Shabbat Shalom with all of them! After the Hesed, we stopped by the only synagogue in Kharkov for a tour and then headed to a nearby restaurant for a kosher lunch! Once we finished lunch, we headed back to the hotel to prepare for Shabbat!

Shabbat at the JCC in Ukraine is such a wonderful experience. Instead of a traditional Shabbat in a synagogue or home, we all stood outside in a circle and recited the prayers! It was a great way to be able to see everyone that you were celebrating Shabbat with!
The next morning we walked to Synagogue to celebrate Shabbat. Since the only synagogue in Kharkov is Orthodox, all the girls and boys were separated for the service. It is a very beautiful synagogue with a lot of history.

After Shabbat we went on a walking tour of Kharkov and ended up in Gorky Park where we played games with our Ukrainian peers all afternoon. The parks in Ukraine are AMAZING. They have the most beautiful flowers everywhere you turn! Once we returned from the park, we ate dinner and then went bowling! It was so fun to be out on the town with all of our new Ukrainian friends!

The next morning we headed 6 hours to the city of Konotop. Once we arrived at the Konotop Hesed, we immediately ate lunch and began working! We began by picking potatoes and fruit and painting doors and fences. The Konotop Hesed grows as many fruits and vegetables as possible to be as self sufficient as they can. Once we finished the dirty work, we went inside to enjoy dinner and a show by the Shtetle Ensemble. We danced and sang all night and ended the evening with an art show where they allowed us to by original pieces of art made by the Hesed clients!

Once we finished at the Hesed, we headed to our campsite that we were spending the evening at. Girls being girls, we weren’t a fan of the camping conditions (the boys LOVED it). But all in all it was definately an experience!

We are having an AMAZING time in Ukraine so far and we still have more work to be done and friends to be made! We are all safe and will see you soon!

Xoxo,
Sarah

LIVE FROM NEW YORK

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:06:00 +0000

Hey Everyone! We FINALLY made it…to New York! What was supposed to be a quick 2 hour flight from Orlando to JFK turned into a lovely five hour extravaganza! Who knew this flight would also include circling over JFK, running low on gas and having a delightful detour in Newburgh, NY. Thank heaven that JetBlue has DirectTV.

But that wasn’t the last of the mishaps. Chloe was injured in a luggage drive by but luckily her big toe survived the incident (minus a piece of toenail)! Mikaela went to check in for our flight to Moscow only to discover that “she had already checked in” It took 45 minutes, but she was able to get her ticket and make it through security to join the rest of us!

Other than having limited (yet overpriced) food choices, the experience has been good so far! All the mishaps and extra flying time actually brought us closer as a group, and its only day one of this amazing experience.

Ok…our flight is about to board! This our last blog from the States…see you in Ukraine!

Xoxo,
Sarah and Chloe

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:25:00 +0000

Hi There! We are only a few short days away from leaving Orlando to travel half way across the world to Ukraine! I am sure that I can speak for all of us going on the trip in that we are all SO EXCITED that the trip is finally around the corner!

Over the past few months we have been working diligently to raise funds and goods to bring over to Ukraine. We started our "Change for Ukraine" campaign with a car wash at a local Walgreens where in a few short hours we were able to raise $100!

Next after our successful car wash came our 2 large fundraising events! Thanks to Scott and the rest of the fundraising committee, we were able to rent out a local bar, Dungeon and host a party in which all the proceeds would go straight to "Change for Ukraine!" Jon (aka D.J Whiteface) played awesome music all night long while all of our friends came out to support "Change for Ukraine" and have a good time!

The next night we held a fundraising event at Buffalo Wild Wings in Waterford Lakes. BWW was kind enough to donate 20% of their profit from that night to "Change for Ukraine" Everyone was able to eat and have a good time, all while raising money to bring to Ukraine!

In total, we were able to raise $892 to donate to the Jewish community in Ukraine! We had so much fun raising the money, and knowing that it is going to help the Jewish community makes us all very proud to be able to help!

Like I said before, we are all very excited to be leaving so soon, and we can't wait to be able to share this experience with our peers in Ukraine!

xoxo,

Sarah

Greetings from Florida!

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:42:00 +0000

Hello! My name is Jenna Mitzner and I am the Program Director at Central Florida Hillel. In just one week I will be traveling to Kharkov, Ukraine along with 14 amazing students from the University of Central Florida. They can’t wait to come, and are excited to a part of this wonderful experience. Read below to find out more about each of the students…

Jon

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:41:00 +0000

Name: Jon
Email: jonis123@gmail.com
Hometown: Potomac, MD
Age: 21
School: University of Central Florida
Major: Digital Media
Interests/Hobbies: playing sports, hanging out with my fraternity brothers of Alpha Epsilon Pi, DJ-ing huge dance parties, playing video games and watching movies.

Kim

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:41:00 +0000

Name: Kimberly
Email: looknqt523@hotmail.com
Hometown: Miami, FL
Age: 20
School: University of Central Florida
Major: Interpersonal and Organizational Communications
Interests/Hobbies: intramural sports, shopping, going to see movies, reading and hanging out with my friends.

Sarah

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:40:00 +0000

Name: Sarah
Email: sarah.cannistra@gmail.com
Hometown: Boca Raton, FL
Age: 21
School: University of Central Florida
Major: Psychology
Interests/Hobbies: shopping, playing with my dog Calli, doing art projects and working.

Ivy

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:40:00 +0000

Name: Ivy
Email: ivydorf@gmail.com
Hometown: Boca Raton, FL
Age: 21
School: University of Central Florida
Major: Marketing
Interests/Hobbies: skating, going to the gym, watching movies, drawing and bike riding.

Jamie

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:39:00 +0000

Name: Jamie
Email: awesome66@aol.com
Hometown: Longwood, FL
Age: 20
School: University of Central Florida
Major: Micro & Molecular Biology
Interests/Hobbies: studying, working out, going to the beach and spending time with my sorority sisters.

Gabe

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:39:00 +0000

Name: Gabe
Email: gabe@goldman.net
Hometown: Boca Raton, FL
Age: 21
School: University of Central Florida
Major: Accounting
Interests/Hobbies: playing golf, hanging out with my fraternity brothers, working and taking long walks on the beach.

Mikaela

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:38:00 +0000

Name: Mikaela
Email: prplemoonlightx@yahoo.com
Hometown: Coral Springs, FL
Age: 19
School: University of Central Florida
Major: Pre-Dental
Interests/Hobbies: going to the gym, shopping, sleeping and painting.

Chloe

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:38:00 +0000

Name: Chloe
Email: chloehochrad@gmail.com
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Age: 21
School: University of Central Florida
Major: Advertising/Public Relations
Interests/Hobbies: shopping, working, Hillel, hanging out with friends and spending time with my family.

Stacey

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:37:00 +0000

Name: Stacey
Email: smarmorstein@hotmail.com
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Age: 19
School: University of Central Florida
Major: Political Science
Interests/Hobbies: shopping, Hillel, laying by the pool and hanging out with my sorority sisters.

Marissa

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:37:00 +0000

Name: Marissa
Email: mpiazza@knights.ucf.edu
Hometown: Palm Harbor, FL
Age: 19
School: University of Central Florida
Major: Hospitality and Tourism Management
Interests/Hobbies: filming and editing videos, traveling, photography and doing tie-dye.

Erica

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:36:00 +0000

Name: Erica
Email: erosen@knights.ucf.edu
Hometown: Miami Beach, FL
Age: 19
School: University of Central Florida
Major: Education
Interests/Hobbies: dancing, fishing, shopping and hanging out with my sorority sisters.

Randi

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:36:00 +0000

Name: Randi
Email: beachbabe02@comcast.net
Hometown: Fort Meyers, FL
Age: 19
School: University of Central Florida
Major: Finance
Interests/Hobbies: traveling, snow skiing, swimming and watching movies.

Stephany

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:35:00 +0000

Name: Stephany
Email: stephanyschwartz@gmail.com
Hometown: Coral Springs, FL
Age: 21
School: University of Central Florida
Major: Advertising and Public Relations
Interests/Hobbies: playing soccer, cooking, computer design and swimming.

Scott

noreply@blogger.com (Short-Term-Service Participant) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:34:00 +0000

Name: Scott
Email: scott013088@aol.com
Hometown: Wellington, FL
Age: 21
School: University of Central Florida
Major: Management
Interests/Hobbies: motorcycles, playing racquetball, playing with your dog, being a Hillel intern and hanging out with friends.

How I Helped Revive Jewish Life in Ukraine

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:35:00 +0000

This summer I was a participant on the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) Short Term Service Program to Ukraine with Hillel students from the University of Central Florida and University of Florida. I expected this opportunity to be a great time and thought it would allow me to travel with friends for a short summer excursion. What I never expected was that this 10-day trip would be the most unbelievable Jewish cultural and spiritual experience of my life.

In 1941, the outbreak of World War II in Kharkov, Ukraine caused the Jewish population in this community of 150,000 Jews to dwindle to a mere 1,000 Jews. The years after World War II were extremely difficult for Jews in Kharkov due to communist persecution and growing feelings of anti-semitism. After the end of communism and the start of Ukraine’s independence, Jews in Kharkov began the long journey of restoring and reviving its Jewish life. The JDC opened an office in Kharkov in 1997 to assist these efforts, building a Jewish Community Center, a Hesed Welfare Center and educational facilities in order to help strengthen and rebuild a self-sustaining Jewish community.

Before we left for Ukraine, students from both UCF and UF collected donations from friends, family, synagogues and local community centers. These donations consisted of clothing, adult diapers, Jewish paraphernalia, toys, books and games. We collected a total of one dozen duffel bags (over 600 pounds) full of goods to bring to Ukraine and donate to the Jewish community in need.

Our volunteer projects highlighted important ideas in Judiasm including tikun olam and tzedakah. Most of the individuals that we were helping were Jewish senior citizens. Many of them were destitute World War II survivors, widowed, and without families. They were all being helped by the JDC’s welfare centers, Hesed, which means “charitable deeds” or “acts of loving kindness” in Hebrew. Hesed offers multiple social services including hot meals, food packages and home care for those left with immobility, medical equipment, and winter relief for thousands of individuals. In addition, we also had the opportunity to work with JDC's program Children at Risk. This program offers Jewish education, psychologists, food packages, medical services, and winter relief for Jewish children who may be hungry, and lacking basic care.

Having gone on Hillel’s Alternative Spring Break in New Orleans, I expected to be doing similar work in Ukraine, such as insulating homes and installing drywall. However, most of the homes we visited were small, dilapidated, one-bedroom wooden houses and in need of help far beyond the abilities of 14 college students. We spent most of the time painting homes and fences while engaging in conversation about life during World War II and communism. While I didn’t realize it at the time, the small efforts of giving our time, showing interest in these individuals, and painting their homes and fences allowed me to give a gift greater than any I have ever given; our act of socializing and improving the exterior of these homes gave these individuals a feeling of importance and the opportunity to live out their final years with dignity.

While in Ukraine, we also had the opportunity to spend time with the students of Kharkov Hillel and the Jewish Community Center Beit Dan. Many of these students did not learn they were Jewish until they were teenagers, as their parents and grandparents were forced to hide their Judaism during World War II and communist rule. Many of their parents and grandparents are still fearful of practicing Judaism and are not accustomed to Jewish life. Therefore, the only Jewish education and culture these students receive is through Hillel and the JCC, which host Shabbat services, holiday programs, and cultural events. In addition, the concept of volunteerism and service to one’s community is new in Ukraine. Hillel and the JCC often help these students learn the importance of helping our community through opportunities to assist Hesed clients and Children at Risk.

This experience opened my eyes to the power of the Jewish community. As a community, we are connected to one another through the Jewish religion, history, and culture. Therefore, we have the responsibility to help one another in any way we can. Jewry has grown and flourished in the United States allowing us to forget that sometimes our fellow Jewish communities living across countries, across oceans, and across the world continue to need assistance and relief.

This program showed me just how much we are connected. We learned that the senior citizens were just like our own grandparents - kindhearted and full of endless hospitality. However, unlike our grandparents, most of these individuals were extremely poverty stricken. Despite their hardship, they did not cease to offer all they had, even if it was just two small tomatoes or a piece of candy. In addition, we learned that the children were like our own siblings or cousins, ready to have fun and full of laughter and cheer. However, unlike our own siblings and cousins, they have had to overcome below zero winters without jackets and blankets, long days without anything to eat, and years without medical care. Regardless of what they had been through, they were still loving and gentle, holding out a hand for us to hold.

Finally, our connection was strengthened and highlighted at Shabbat services as we overcame the language barrier as English and Russian were forgotten and Hebrew linked us as members of the Jewish community. We may not have the same national culture, language, or lives but we do have the same prayers of gratitude, peace, and most of all, hope.

Coming Home - Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (JDC Short-Term Service) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:25:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I participated in an incredible Tikkun Olam (translated from Hebrew as ‘repair of the world’) experience, which changed the way I view myself as a Jew. With funding from Florida Hillel’s and The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), an organization that has served as the overseas arm of the American Jewish community since 1914 with a mission to serve the needs of Jews throughout the world, I, along with 14 other UF and UCF students, journeyed halfway across the world to Ukraine, an unlikely place for a group of young American Jews.

“Why on earth would you go to Ukraine?” was often the question asked while I was raising funds for this trip. Ukraine, which received its independence from the USSR and communism in 1991, is a country filled with Jews in desperate need of our help if the Jewish communities are
to survive. The Jews of Ukraine represent the third-largest Jewish community in Europe and the fifth largest in the world; the city of Kharkov alone has an estimated 50,000 Jews. Once a major center of Jewish life, most Jews in Ukraine lost almost all of their ties to their heritage during the Soviet era. Since 1988, JDC, with help from its funding partners, has been enabling the Kharkov Jewish community to implement social welfare programs for elderly Holocaust survivors and to expand a range of communal services that bring the joys of Jewish life to all generations. There were two ages of Jews we focused on- the elderly, who have had extremely difficult lives through the holocaust and communism, having to keep their Judaism a secret for many years, and then the youth, who are just discovering Judaism and what its all about.

The elderly in Ukraine are mostly alone, poor, and in need of medical care which they cannot afford. The JDC has created many programs such as centers called Hesseds, meal plans, medical assistance, and most importantly, they have provided a community outlet which helps the elderly Jews reconnect to their Judaism and culture. They have so many stories, experience, lessons-and now, with help from the JDC and volunteers like my group, they have a place to hare those stories and histories. On our trip, we went to the homes of many of the Hessed clients and visited with them, did housework like gardening or painting fences, and asked them questions about their lives. Some of the answers were very saddening, while others left us wide-eyed with fascination. We visited one man who at first was very upset because we could not speak to him in Yiddish. Eventually, after we began painting his fence and pulling his weeds, he warmed up and started telling us a bit about his life. But he never smiled. When I asked him why, he said, “My wife is gone and my son died in Israel. What do I have to smile for?” I was left speechless. But then, after I grabbed his hand and took him to see his newly painted wall, a beautiful thing happened- he smiled. Before I left he kissed my cheek. Our being there really meant something to these people, even if we were just painting their fences.

The JDC has also made a great effort to give the younger generations a chance to embrace their Judaism. One of my favorite memories took place when we shared Shabbat with our Ukrainian Peers. Try to imagine a Friday night Shabbat service in your temple. Think about the children and the teenagers-what do their faces look like? From my experience, boredom is often the expression on most young reform American Jewry while in Shul. That is what was so inspiring about the Ukrainian youth; They sang at the top of their lungs, shouted the prayers like I’d never heard, and, strangely enough, most of the 18-year-olds we met had just found out they were Jewish three years prior. Yet, they embraced Judaism with such passion, learning the prayers, taking Hebrew and Yiddish lasses, going to their Hillel’s. It was a passion which both saddened me for American Jews and reminded me what prayer should be about. These young people are the hope for a Jewish future in Ukraine and the way they looked at us Americans, with such a desire to understand how we do things, was so beautiful and refreshing.

One of the main things this trip brought to light for me was that all Jews truly are responsible to each other and unmistakably connected to each other. I enrolled in Hebrew class at UF in the fall because, for the first time, I’ve seen firsthand that Hebrew is our universal language. But more than that, I’ve seen that one person, even myself, can make a difference in the lives of many and play a significant role in my Jewish community- and so can you. The JDC’s ultimate goal is to provide the Jews they assist with the tools, skills, and resources to become self-sufficient. We believe our Ukrainian Peers are the hope for change. The students of the Florida Hillel’s are currently raising money to help in the education of our Ukrainian peers so they will be able to one day take over for the JDC and sustain their Jewish Communities on their own.

--DANI ROSENKRANTZ

Shabbat in Kharkov!

noreply@blogger.com (Kari B) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 10:59:00 +0000

Hi everyone!
Nothing beats Shabbas in a foreign country, that's for sure. Something about the difference in culture but how constant all of our traditions are is just incredible to me. That we can speak entirely different languages, lead completely different lives on the opposite side of the world yet when the sun sets we all have at least one thing in common- we are Jews!
Last night, we brought in Shabbat at the JСС in Kharkov. The building itself is beautiful (it was designed to look like Jerusalem!), but what I remember most about the evening was saying prayers in Hebrew to the same tune. I felt this amazing connection to our peers simply through the fact that 6000 miles away, we still celebrate Shabbas (and other holidays, I presume) the same way. L'cha Dodi, we all sang, turned to the door, and welcomed the Shabbas Bride the way I've remembered doing it as far back as I can remember.
This morning, we took a walking tour of the city to Freedom Square, several monuments, a park and one of the last remaining synagogues from the previous regime. The walk was far and it was pretty hot outside, but I think everyone really enjoyed the trip! Lots to see here, so much history. I mean, how many people do you know that can say they've seen Kharkov, Ukraine? Not many! We definitely took advantage of the opportunity and took tons of touristy pictures.
Today we're going to start planning tomorrow's activity with local Ukrainian children, spend some time at our Hillel peers' homes and then go back to Freedom Square for a concert, followed by an end-of-shabbat party here at Hillel!
Looking forward to an even more incredible week,
Kari

Hello from Ukraine

noreply@blogger.com (JDC Short-Term Service) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:58:00 +0000

Hey All!
Everyone met Monday night, and we left on Tuesday for Ukraine. On Wednesday we finally arrived in Kiev at noon and the group was picked up by a bus and a JDC Jewsih Service Corps Fellow in Kiev. We toured the city with her, and visited several Jewish sites. Our first stop was at Babi Yar, and that was very powerful and emotional experience. We had a small memorial at the site of the ravine and a Kiev Hillel peer told us the history of Babi Yar and a neighboring old Jewish cemetery. Next we visited the JDC Hessed (institution to help elderly Jews in need) and had lunch in the dinning hall, making that our first official Ukrainian meal. I must say we were all pleasantly surprised with the pasta and fish served, but we aren't used to the beet juice (give us a couple more days). We were able to tour the building and meet the directors of the day care, and medical center. At night we got a chance to do a walking tour of downtown Kiev, and everyone was thankful to finally get their legs moving again. For dinner we stopped at one of Kiev's Synagogue's. We then continued our tour (since the sun doesn't set until after 9 p.m) to the site of the 2004 Orange Revolution. There are many statues and fountains all representing Ukraine's independence. The square was filled with old Russian architecture and beautiful buildings, and of course a McDonald's. Go figure. That night we started our journey to Kharkov on an overnight train. We were all so exhausted at that point from non-stop traveling we all had no trouble sleeping.
Today (Thursday) was our first day in Kharkov. We were enthusiastically greeted by the Hillel students at the train station at 6 a.m. Our first stop was to the hotel where we all finally got a chance to shower. By this time, we really needed it. After the freshening up and breakfast we went to the Hillel and met the Ukrainian students that will be working with us for most of our time here. All of the students split up into four groups and in the morning we went to elderly Jewish homes. My group went to one home with with seven Hessed clients and they made us tea and cookies. They were so happy to have some visitors and company. Each group had a translator so the language barrier wasn't a problem. In the afternoon (in the same groups) we helped with apartment repairs in some elderly Jews' homes. The name of the woman my group visited is Sofia and she is 86 years old. She has people who come weekly to help cook, and clean for her, but other than that she rarely has any visitors. She lives alone, and unfortunately has no family left. She told us her life story which was inspirational to say the least. We then began painting her doors and windows. She has lived in the same apartment for the past 55 years.
Sofia was so thankful not only for our work but most of all our company, and during the paint jobs we all took turns sitting down and talking with her. When it was time to go she thanked us thousands of times and no one really wanted to go yet. Now we are back at the Hillel and just hanging out until dinner starts. I speak for everyone when I say that we are all having a wonderful experience already, and please don't worry about us! Bye for now.
Jasmine