Ukraine

Overview

Ukraine once served as a vibrant and vital center for Jewish culture. Beginning in the 8th century, it was an important refuge for Jews fleeing persecution. But centuries of pogroms and the depredations of World War II, with more than 1 million Ukrainian Jews murdered at the hands of the Nazis, devastated this once thriving community. Yet, despite the restrictions of the Soviet era, Ukrainian Jewish culture managed to survive.

Today, Ukraine is home to the third largest Jewish community in Europe – the fifth largest in the world. With almost 500,000 Jews in Ukraine, the community, its culture, and its heritage are growing stronger. In fact, while aliyah, or immigration to Israel, is still important, there is a growing trend of Ukrainian-born Israeli citizens returning to their homeland.

Need

Following its declaration of independence in 1991, Ukraine suffered a major economic slowdown, losing more than 60% of its GDP by 1999 and suffering some of the worst hyper-inflation in Europe. The economy subsequently rebounded and Ukraine enjoyed consistent growth until the recent global financial crisis, but issues like aging infrastructure, poor transportation, and the country’s dependence on Russia for energy supplies continue to hamper efforts to improve daily living. The elderly in the Jewish community have been particularly hard hit as the rising costs of daily necessities have put them at risk.

With many Ukrainian Jews cut off from Jewish traditions and culture for decades, there is a need to provide them with frameworks for learning more about their Jewish heritage.

Response

JDC has a long history of work in Ukraine. In the 1920s and 1930s, JDC—through Agro-Joint—trained and resettled Jewish artisans and traders on newly established Jewish farm settlements in Ukraine. Today, JDC works to provide basic daily needs for at-risk elderly Jews and for young families that have children with special needs or disabilities. JDC also fosters community programs that are renewing Jewish culture. These efforts include:

• 43 Hesed welfare centers
• 50 Jewish Community Centers (JCCs)
• Seven Hillel centers, where young Jews can explore and celebrate their identity
• Completion of the Odessa Grand Jewish Community Home, which houses a Hesed, two local JCCs, and other Jewish organizations
• Dedication of the newly renovated Beit Graham Jewish Home in Krivoy Rog, which now houses Hesed programs for children and the elderly in addition to JCC programming
• Construction of a new Jewish Campus in Kharkov

Impact

Hundreds of thousands of Jews in Ukraine have benefited from almost a century of JDC’s work and commitment. Currently, tens of thousands are served by JDC’s Jewish Community Centers and Hillel centers, benefiting from services that provide:

• 2.6 million hours of home care for more than 10,200 homebound elderly Jews
• Nutritional assistance for more than 5,000 children at risk
• Food cards for more than 35,000 clients, enabling them to purchase their food in local supermarkets
• Social and cultural interaction as well as basic needs for more than 5,300 seniors through day centers
• Annual medical consultations for more than 5,700 clients and medicines for nearly 30,000
• Day care, preschool enrichment programs, and parenting workshops for more than 500 children and their families

Perhaps the most promising evidence of JDC’s impact is the emerging Jewish leadership in Ukraine which, in locations like Zaporozhye, is raising its own funds to ensure the long-term sustainability and community ownership of the programs JDC has fostered.

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