CRISIS IN UKRAINE

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, millions of people have fled their homes, whether leaving for neighboring countries or becoming internally displaced. UJA and our partners have been on the ground from the beginning responding to emergency needs.

Right now, priorities include:

Emergency relief in Ukraine: The homebound elderly, Holocaust survivors, and people with disabilities are among those who were in no position to leave the country, while many others have chosen to remain in or return to Ukraine despite the ongoing war and its significant impact on their living conditions, employment, physical and mental health, and daily life. 

Our partners are ensuring their continued care — often at risk to themselves — serving an expanded group of Ukrainians who now find themselves in desperate need. We’re providing food, shelter, medical and other basic supplies, emergency assistance, mental health support, and other critical services in order to help Ukrainians, displaced or otherwise, throughout the country.

Refugee aid in Europe, Israel, and New York: Our support has helped refugees who have poured into Poland, Moldova, Hungary, and Romania and on into Western Europe exhausted and traumatized. Through JDC and many other key partners on the ground, we’ve provided food, water, shelter, medical supplies, psychological first aid, day care, and respite for women/mothers who are often on this journey alone. We’re also helping those who have come to Israel and New York by funding legal services, case management, financial assistance, emotional support, and programs/camps for children, youth, and teens.

Facilitating aliyah: So far, with our support through The Jewish Agency, 65,000 olim from Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia have arrived in Israel. Another 30,000 have arrived with temporary resettlement status.  

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Our Work on the Ground

The Jewish population of Ukraine is mainly concentrated in Kyiv and in western Ukraine (68,000); eastern Ukraine (100,000); and Odessa and southern Ukraine (30,000) and includes tens of thousands of needy Jewish elderly and poor families.

To date, UJA-Federation of New York has allocated nearly $25 million in emergency funding. We expect additional needs and requests to emerge in the days and weeks ahead.  

Below is a breakdown of the grants made to date:

HUMANITARIAN AID IN UKRAINE:
$7.7 Million

Since the start of the war, we’ve been providing food, water, medicine, temporary housing for the internally displaced, trauma services, and more. 

Grantees: Afya Foundation of America, The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Inc., Chabad of Odessa, Charity Taxi, Council of Peoples Organization, Federation of Jewish Communities - Chabad of Chelyabinsk, Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (Chabad), HIAS, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, Israel Trauma Coalition, IsraAID, JCC Mykolaev, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Jewish Relief Network Ukraine, JUICE, Moishe House, The Orthodox Union, Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital, Project Kesher, Razom for Ukraine, Schechter Institute of Israel Studies, Sephardic Heritage Museum, Ukrainian Humanitarian Fund (UHF), United Hatzalah, VOICE, World Central Kitchen, World Jewish Relief, World Union for Progressive Judaism

RESCUE:
$1.1 Million

We’ve assisted the large numbers of people who want to make aliyah by providing shelter, food, supplies, transport, and safe passage out of Ukraine by land and ultimately by air to Israel.

Grantee: The Jewish Agency for Israel

REFUGEE SUPPORT:
$13 Million

In Europe: Having helped to evacuate Ukrainian refugees to neighboring countries, we are now ensuring continuation of services, providing food, shelter, medicine, mental health support, Jewish summer camp for children, and more.  

Grantees: The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Central Council of Jews in Germany, Chabad in Bordering Countries, Friends of JCC Krakow, HIAS, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, IsraAID, JCC Budapest, JCC Warsaw, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Jewish Community of Germany, Jewish Community of Vienna,  Limmud FSU, Moishe House, NATAN Worldwide Disaster Relief, Office of the Chief Rabbi of Poland, The Orthodox Union, Schechter Institute of Israel Studies, Tikva Odessa, United Hatzalah, World Central Kitchen, World Jewish Relief

In New York: We’re supporting refugees with case management, emergency cash assistance, summer camp and day school scholarships, legal services, and more.

Grantees: Camp Zeke, Edith and Carl Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst, Hebrew Free Loan Society, the Jewish Board, NYLAG, Usdan, Westchester Jewish Coalition for Immigration

In Israel: Some refugees have come to Israel as official olim, while others have temporary visitor status, which means they don’t qualify for government programming. Regardless of status, we’re helping refugees secure shelter, employment, supporting education and camps for children, as well as trauma counseling. 

Grantees: Amuta in six cities, Atzum Justice Works, Dror Israel, Hashomer Hatzair, HIAS, Israeli Volunteering Council, Jerusalem Variety Center, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Keter Ukrainian Aid, Lobby HaMillion, Mashabim: Community Stress Prevention Center, Metiv - Sarah Hertzog Hospital, Na'ale Rescue Program, One Million Lobby, Selah - Israel Crisis Management Center, Shetaltem Niginim, Shishi Shabbat Yisraeli, Shorashim, Tech4Changes, Yad L'Olim and Gvahim, Yedioth Ahronot

PASSOVER 2022:
$2.3 Million

We allocated funds to 20 organizations of every size and denomination to meet needs in 24 cities across Ukraine and 9 countries housing refugees. Our partners hosted more than 35,900 people at seders, distributed 90 tons of matzah, provided 66,200 hot Passover meals, delivered 31,500 food packages to 53,000 people, and handed out 50,000 Haggadot. Our funding allowed a total of 75,000 people to feel the warm embrace of community on Passover.

Grantees: The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), Central Council of Jews in Germany, Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS, Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (Chabad), Hillel International, JCC Budapest, JCC Warsaw, The Jewish Agency for Israel, JUICE, Limmud FSU, Masorti Olami/The Schechter Institute, Moishe House, NATAN/JCC Krakow, Office of the Chief Rabbi of Poland, Orthodox Union, United Hatzalah, World Central Kitchen, World Union for Progressive Judaism, Yedioth Ahronoth  

 

PASSOVER 2023:
$787,000

For a second year, we helped Ukrainian Jews celebrate freedom under the shadow of war. We allocated $787,000 to 12 organizations in Ukraine, neighboring European countries, and in New York. Our partners provided “Seders-in-a-box” to 25,000 households in 193 cities, distributed 50,000 boxes of matzah for Hesed clients and other Jewish community members, delivered Kosher for Passover food for 35 distinct communities and hosted community seders and kosher for Passover food for Ukrainian refugees in Budapest, Krakow, Vienna, and Warsaw.

Grantees: Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine, Hillel, IKG Vienna, JCC Budapest, JCC Krakow, JCC Warsaw, JCH of Bensonhurst, JDC, Moishe House, Orthodox Union, Schechter, World Union for Progressive Judaism