JDC Provides Lifeline to Nearly 170,000 Elderly Jews—Among the Poorest Jews in the World
From St. Petersburg, Russia to Siberia, from Kiev, Ukraine to Kazakhstan, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) provides relief to nearly 170,000 destitute elderly Jews in over 2,800 cities, towns, and villages across the vast cultural and geographic expanse of republics that comprise the former Soviet Union. A network of more than 170 JDC-supported Hesed welfare centers and other Jewish organizations offers vital services to ease the burden of elderly Jews living in the region’s bitter cold. Every day, homecare for the elderly, as well as thousands of blankets, boots, warm jackets, and gallons of heating fuel oil are being provided for the neediest clients.