Chevra USA – Feeding Russian Jews And More . . . In Their Time of Need

Over the past year an a half, the dollar on the global financial market has dropped significantly against other currencies. For us as Americans, this doesn’t have a significant day to day impact on our lives, except for imported goods costing a bit more than they did when we had a more valuable dollar; but for the humanitarian work we do, it has had significant implications. A weaker dollar means increased cost to operate our soup kitchens. Two years ago, we were able to feed elderly people in our soup kitchens for about 82 cents a meal; today, the same meal costs us two dollars. We need to raise two dollars to do the same work that cost us 82 cents two years ago. We are very grateful to all our friends who support us on a regular basis, but between the rising costs of food in the Former Soviet Union, the devaluation of the dollar, and the rising costs of gasoline to distribute food parcels, our resources have been wearing thinner and thinner. As we make headway in raising funds, we lose ground in costs. Your regular support means a great deal to us, and to the people we are seeking to help. As you sit around your tables this thanksgiving, we ask that as you thank God for your blessings, you remember our people, and make a prayer on their behalf.

The Orphans Project:

This past July, I went to Israel to discuss the details of our participation with members of the Knesset’s (Israeli Parliament), social welfare lobby, in their orphans’ project. Before we become involved with any such undertaking, we check out all plans thoroughly. We met for several days, and found that what we were originally told was not the case at all.

Originally, we were informed that we were to assist in bringing Jewish orphans from Ukraine to Israel, where they would become Israeli citizens, and they would live in a “Boys Town” type, group home environment. When I went to Ukraine, they showed me orphans, so I assumed they had the orphans and they wanted our help in bringing them to Israel. During the meetings, they told us they didn’t have any orphans, and expected us to go and find them. This would be a monumental task beyond our resources. Next, we discovered the Ukrainian government would NEVER allow orphans to just be taken out of their country. They are concerned that unscrupulous people would take children and sell their organs on the international black market. Such things happen in the Former Soviet Union. The most they would allow was for orphans to come to Israel on a two year study visa. We were informed that it would cost us $9000.00 per child to bring the children and provide for their needs. Thirty children to come for an education program would cost us $270,000.00. We realized right away that such a project was beyond our means, and might swallow up and destroy the work we are presently doing, so we declined the project. We spent the next several days in Israel, meeting with various people, and decided to do a project of our own. We are planning to open CHEVRA ISRAEL. We believe we need to expand our work in Israel, but doing our kind of projects. We do not work with high overheads. Our current plan is to help subsidize soup kitchens that are currently in operation in Israel. One in Tel Aviv operates three days a week. We will pay for it to operate two additional days. We want to help holocaust survivors in Israel, but giving them supplemental income. As we raise more funds, we will expand the work we do in Israel as well. As for the orphans in Ukraine, we will do what we can to help them where they are, through soup kitchens and food and clothing distribution.

In September, I attended an international Russian Speaking congregations summit in Berlin, Germany, as an observer. We made many good contacts, and found ways we can help one another.

If you would like to help us with our projects in the Former Soviet Union or in Israel, please let us hear from you. In any case, we are living in very exciting times, and we have a fantastic opportunity to do a lot of good for a lot of people. I am thankful and grateful for your standing with us and praying for us, and for your support enabling us to carry out our work.

Thank you again for your help.

We need your help and covet your prayers.

In our recent letters we have reported about poor Jewish children, which are in desperate situations especially during this winter. Each month we are supporting them with necessary vitamins, baby food and other nutritional products. They also have a very big problem with clothing and shoes, as they are too expensive to get. We have prayed in this matter and thanks also to your help we were able to intervene in the most critical cases.

Two people from Chevra have bought winter outwear, jackets, shoes and distributed them amongst children in western Ukraine. It was a great joy for us to see the happiness on their faces. They could never afford for such things and this winter was especially long and severe...

...having in our minds faces of the kids who had nothing good to wear on, like this sister and brother, brought up only by their grandmother having only 18$ pension for all of them. They were so thankful and happy to receive new things...

Vladik, 7 years old, was born with children cerebral paralyse. His father got mental disease later and was put into the isolated hospital. Elena needs to take care alone for a boy needing special treatment every half or one year in the special children care centre in Donetsk. They had to leave the flat they had and now they live in a type of dormitory, having one small room with no kitchen and toilet.

Styepan is one of the 3 kids from the family which wants to leave for Israel but they have big problem as the father had no documents for several years (they were stolen in other town).They live in small room with no running water.. He was so proud to get his new jacket and shoes...

This family consisting of 5 children live with their parents in one room with kitchen, placed under the stairs in the old building. Father has only seasonal work and can’t find a job to be able to feed his family. Children are very talented and skilled; the works of the oldest girl were taken to the exhibition in Warsaw, Poland...

Magdalene’s parents came to Ukraine 20 years ago from Kazakhstan in search for job. They worked in local great nitrate factory, until it bankrupted 3 years ago. Now both parents have no permanent job, having not enough to feed family, even having only 2 children...

These were only small examples of the children from the Jewish families in a great need. We pray that the finances allow us to prepare even small monthly support for such families.

As of last month, Anshe Rachamim has officially changed its name to Chevra USA. The reasons for the change are that our parent organization in Krakow is called Chevra International, and it was getting confusing for people that we are the same organization and have two separate names. Our branches on the field are all known as Chevra; Chevra Ukraine, Chevra Russia, Chevra Belarus, etc. Becoming Chevra USA makes it easier for people to make the connection. A second reason for the change is that it is easier for people to write a check to Chevra than to Anshe Rachamim. Chevra means friendship. We will still be sending out mailings with Anshe Rachamim stationary until it is used up, and checks can still be made out to Anshe Rachamim or Chevra, but we will be phasing out the Anshe Rachamim name over the next couple of months. We hope and pray you won’t phase out your prayers or support of our work as we go through this change.

As we prepared this newsletter, the disaster in the Gulf States hit, and our desire, as with so many others, was to see as many funds as possible go to help the victims. We were torn about even sending out this newsletter at this time, but the fact remains that the people that look to us for food and medicines and clothing and all the other needs we seek to provide are still be in need. We are heartened to see the massive relief efforts taking place, but we know that for those we help in the Former Soviet Union, there is no massive effort. There are only a handful of people doing what we can. We really do need your help at this time as we move towards the winter months, which are always severe. We encourage you to also help those dealing with the present disaster in our own country, preferably through the American Red Cross, which is a dependable charity.

I am really happy to say that monthly giving has held steady through the summer, which has been a real help for us. We have been able to meet our obligations to those we support, and are grateful for the faithfulness of all of you. As the US Dollar has weakened on international markets, it has been good for the US economy, but the downside, has been for those we have been helping. Where we used to be able to keep a soup kitchen running for $1000.00 a month, it now costs $1400.00 a month. Multiply that by the many soup kitchens and other aid we provide and you see that our needs have become greater just to maintain what we are presently doing. We are thankful for your help. It has enabled us to do our work, and meet the needs of our people in desperate situations.

We invited 120 Jewish children from Ukraine, Byelorussia and Kaliningrad to the camp. Chevra USA provided funds for transportation and organizing some special events for the children. We do believe that it was a great time for all the children and for most of them their only summer activity.

Jewish humanitarian organizations that helped the poor free of charge recently introduced part payment for their help. Many people turn to us since they cannot afford to pay, even in part, for medicine, diapers for adults or food parcels. We also had some Jewish organizations, even orthodox organizations, turning to us for help. Please pray with us that we could meet their needs.

Elena is the mother of Alina (12 yrs old). Her husband left them a few years ago when he found out that his daughter was sick with diabetes. Elena can not find a job; no one wants to employ her because in her work-book there is a note: “on leave due to minding a handicapped child.” The family lives in a small 2-room apartment, which has not been renovated for years, because of the lack of finances.

Alina has been ill from her childhood; she is under permanent care. When she was four, she was taken by ambulance for her resuscitation as she fell in coma. Doctors were fighting for her life many days. Afterward she was taken to another ward, where they gave diagnosis: the worst kind of diabetes, type 1: fully dependant on insulin. As she regained consciousness, there came immediately: cardiopathy, nephropathy, and poor eye-sight. At present she has even more complications. They have no means to buy proper food, as the supportive treatment is very costly.