All in the Family: Hesed Brings Relief to Elderly Sisters in Cherkassy

Throughout her life, Oleksa, 79, has gracefully endured unspeakable challenges. Born to a working class family in Martynovka village in Zhitomir Province, she lost both of her parents and her youngest brother while still in her teens. Nonetheless optimistic and light-hearted, the elderly Sophia is reliant on JDC to help live out her life with dignity and meaning. "My sister and I rely on and appreciate the support and Jewish enrichment that we receive," she says.

Oleksa's first loss came at the age of 13, when her father was killed in a car accident. Her mother, unable to raise her four children alone, was forced to send two of Oleksa's siblings to an orphanage for a few years; Oleksa was left to care for her little brother.

During the Second World War, the family — other than Oleksa's sister, Kalyna — was evacuated to the Stalingrad Province. Upon their arrival, Oleksa began working on the collective farm. Her youngest brother, whom she had helped to raise, passed away in 1942. Soon thereafter, when the Nazis were approaching Stalingrad, what remained of the family moved to Sverdlovsk Province. Less than one year later, Oleksa's mother died in a train accident. Orphaned at 18 years old, Sophia took her remaining younger brother and went in search of their sister, Kalyna. After the War, the three of them returned to Zhitomir where Oleksa and Kalyna worked in a factory and together cared for their brother. Kalyna soon married and moved to Cherkassy, West Ukraine.

Oleksa has been living with her sister in Cherkassy for ten years, since the death of their second brother. With Kalyna's husband also deceased, the two women continue to be each other's greatest company. They have been active in the local Jewish community since its inception, religiously attending Jewish events and programs at JDC-sponsored Hesed Dorot's Day Center. "We have always held on to our faith and now are able to practice our tradition with other Jews," says Oleksa, who has also volunteered for more than a decade with the WWII Veterans' Board.

Despite the sisters' spirit and resilience, their health is deteriorating and they are dependent upon assistance from the Jewish community to live with dignity. They have undergone cataract and glaucoma surgeries to correct impaired vision, and Oleksa recently suffered a micro-stroke. With a combined monthly income of $50, both women rely on welfare assistance from Hesed Dorot. The Hesed provides Oleksa and Kalyna with basic needs such as monthly food packages, medications, and weekly home care to help with household chores. Recently, Hesed helped them to purchase and install a gas heater in their apartment to replace their broken one. "We would never be able to survive without Hesed," says Oleksa. "We are thankful to those who provide funds for the noble work that Hesed does, especially to the JDC."