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University of Florida Hillel Students: Volunteer Adventure in Ukraine
As college classes wound down and final exams were checked off the "To Do" list of 15 Jewish Florida co-eds, the dedicated group of young leaders took flight for a unique volunteer adventure on the far reaches of the European continent through JDC’s Short-Term Service program.
Teaming up with JDC and with financial support from the Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and others, the University of Florida Hillel sent 15 students to Kharkov and Konotop from June 5-14 to learn about challenges facing Ukraine’s Jewish community; interact with their Jewish peers from Kharkov Hillel and the Jewish Youth Association; and bring joy to elderly Jews in need. The third JDC Short-Term Service project in Kharkov in as many years, it is the first time that University of Florida Hillel has taken part. Jessica, a Sociology major and active Hillel member at the university, was eager to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. "Helping people is something I’m really passionate about, and the chance to see another country and to help Jews is great," she says. "And to get the chance to meet people who live in a region that is so entrenched in history is really special." Jessica and her Hillel peers got the opportunity to do just that. While in Ukraine, the group spent countless hours volunteering in the homes of elderly Jews, who rely on JDC to meet their most basic material and emotional needs. The students repaired broken windows, planted gardens, painted fences, and offered companionship—a simple act that, for elderly Jews in Ukraine who are primarily isolated and without living relatives, was the most meaningful gift of all. "The thing that impacted me the most is the bond we developed with the elderly, hearing their stories first-hand and seeing the actual effects of the Holocaust and Communism," Jessica reflected on the moving time she spent with destitute seniors. "Normally that’s the kind of thing you just get to read about, but to see with my own eyes how much help is needed is really powerful." 
The moving experience has had a residual impact on the Florida students. Just one month after returning home, the group has already made extensive plans to continue to support Ukraine’s elderly Jews. They have created an "Adopt a Babushka" campaign, through which they hope to raise funds to support the annual cost of providing food, medicine, and homecare to ten elderly Jews in need. Jessica explained that currently the group is "working on a lot of public relations, writing letters, creating a PowerPoint presentation, and sending people to different communities and synagogues to create a buzz."
The summer volunteer adventure of these 15 university students has clearly increased their awareness and incited them to act and commit to support Jewish communities overseas in the months and years to come. JDC’s Short-Term Service projects are designed to offer this kind of experiential insight into the needs and beauty of overseas Jewish communities as well as into the specifics of JDC’s work. To date, weeklong volunteer opportunities have been operated in Argentina, Israel, Poland, and Ukraine. "I never heard of the JDC before the trip," said Jessica, "and now I realize how much of a driving force this kind of experience can be." July 2007 |
