The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)-supported Hesed social welfare center Kramatorsk — providing critical social services and Jewish cultural programing — was hit by two rockets on Tuesday. The rockets, which damaged the 9-story building where the center is located, did not explode as one hit the roof and another landed in backyard. No injuries were immediately reported at the Hesed and the building has been evacuated. The attack was part of a barrage landed near the city center, reportedly killing 5 and wounding 26.

‘This latest development is another stark reminder of the harsh conditions on the ground that impact the lives of the most vulnerable in Ukraine everyday. As we mourn the loss of life, our staff on the ground are tending to the elderly and poor Jews we serve in the city to ensure their safety. We remain vigilant and dedicated to delivering humanitarian aid to the thousands in Ukraine who are facing violence, scarcity of food and medicine, and the harsh winter months,’ said JDC CEO Alan H. Gill.

The Kramatorsk Hesed, which serves over 560 elderly and poor Jews and employs 42 people, is part of a network of 32 JDC-supported social welfare centers serving 60,000 needy Jews in more than 1,000 locations across Ukraine, even in places wracked by violence. JDC has been at the forefront of aid efforts since the Ukraine crisis began. The organization has delivered food, medicine, homecare, stipends for new accommodation, post-trauma care, and vitally important winter fuel, bedding, and clothing as the conflict has worsened. JDC currently serves over 4,600 Jews in the eastern conflict zones and 2,400 internally displaced Jews who have fled to cities like Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Odessa.

JDC’s work in Ukraine is undertaken in cooperation with the local Jewish community and groups like Chabad. JDC’s work is generously support by its Board, individual donors and foundations, and our esteemed partners, including Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, the Jewish Federations of North America, World Jewish Relief, and the Conference on Jewish Materials Claims Against Germany.

Today, JDC has four major offices and operates and supports a network of 32 Hesed social welfare centers serving 60,000 Jews in need in more than 1,000 locations across Ukraine. JDC’s long history of working with Ukrainian Jews includes its work with the American Relief Administration in 1921 to administer an aid program for Ukrainians impacted by war and famine, including the Jewish community. Additionally, Agro-Joint, established in 1924, created Jewish agricultural colonies and industrial schools in Ukraine and Crimea.

About JDCThe American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization. JDC works in more than 70 countries and in Israel to alleviate hunger and hardship, rescue Jews in danger, create lasting connections to Jewish life, and provide immediate relief and long-term development support for victims of natural and man-made disasters. For more information, visit www.JDC.org.