Ukraine is home to the third largest Jewish community in Europe—the fifth largest in the world. Like much of former Soviet Jewry, Ukraine’s Jews have survived the pogroms and the Holocaust, and outlasted Communist Jewish oppression. Today, though the country is struggling with economic turmoil and aging infrastructure, its Jewish community is growing, working tirelessly to assist its needy and to foster leadership among its most dedicated.
JDC reentered Ukraine to rebuild the shattered remnants of Jewish life following the fall of the Soviet Union. Faced with the acute suffering of Jews made vulnerable by the difficult political and economic transition, including the hyperinflation of the early 1990s, JDC began providing critical food, medicine, and other support that continues as its hallmark in the region.
Today, in collaboration with the local Jewish community, JDC:
- Saves Ukraine’s poorest Jews by providing for the basic daily necessities for tens of thousands of at-risk elderly and for struggling young families, including those who have children with special needs or disabilities.
- Revitalizes Jewish life by offering individuals who have been cut off from Jewish traditions for decades frameworks for Jewish learning and connection such as camps, Jewish Community Center programming, and “Days of Jewish Culture” in Ukraine’s largest cities.
- Develops tomorrow’s Jewish leaders by engaging young Ukrainian Jews in activities that foster volunteerism, and equipping them with the skills and resources to develop programs tailored to their unique, local communities.
Learn more about how JDC in Ukraine is relieving the suffering of impoverished Jewish families and helping at-risk children reconnect with their community.
DID YOU KNOW?
Nearly 50,000 of the poorest Jews in Ukraine depend on JDC’s debit food cards to purchase their basic monthly staples in local supermarkets.
