Imagine, for a moment, waking up to the sound of an ear-splitting explosion. People shriek in fear. Enemy helicopters hover overhead, the noise of the rotors deafening. Another explosion reverberates, causing buildings to shake and sending frantic adults and children running to what they hope will be a safe haven. This is life in a country under siege. Life in Ukraine is a war zone. A nightmare. The fear is indescribable, the tension unendurable. People are scrambling to leave, packing their cars and waiting at endless gas lines. Explosions are echoing throughout the country, causing a perpetual state of panic. There is no way to know how long this situation will continue. Now that the war in Ukraine is a reality, this world crisis affects us on a personal level – because 200,000 of our brothers are on the frontlines. This means that there are 60,000 Jews in Kyiv whose lives are at risk. A hundred miles away from Kyiv, Camp Shuva has been set up to accommodate Jewish refugees. The fleeing families arrive at the camp in complete disarray, hoping to find refuge, but there is a lack of basic necessities. There is no heat, and not enough food. There is no medicine or security guards. The thousands of homeless children need teachers to provide their lives with structure, and therapists to help them cope with the trauma of warfare. The cost for just one Refugee camp for 320 people is a prohibitive $600,000/month . For the past thirty years, American Friends of Kyiv have been there for the Jews of Ukraine. Now, their efforts have taken the form of pikuach nefesh – and they need us to join in their sacred mission. They are working tirelessly to provide these families with their basic necessities, and the stability they crave. Help us to support Ukrainian Jewry in their time of need.

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