Jewish Values, Global Response 2
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Reach Out Summer 2017 Jewish values, global response 2 There are, of course, parts of I am hugely proud that my job that are difficult and while the bulk of our efforts complex, particularly as charity are targeted at helping a management rightly comes vulnerable Jewish client group, under ever more scrutiny to be at times of major international accountable and transparent. disaster - in true Jewish Costs must be kept low, tradition - we reach beyond changing data protection our community and show the legislation must be complied world that we care. I recently with, services must remain heard from our fabulous cost-effective and ultimately we partner agency in northern must provide value for money Kenya which, thanks to our in the support we provide to community’s support, was those we help. providing water and food to starving women and children Yet I am lucky to get the facing a looming famine. I’m opportunity to travel to amazed once again by our Paul Anticoni Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and Jewish desire to save lives other remote locations and be wherever we can. reminded of why we do what Chief Executive we do. It is humbling and My passion for this inspiring to travel for hundreds organisation is fuelled not of miles through rural Ukraine only by those we help but by to an isolated farming village those who help us to help. I and find an elderly Jewish was humbled recently to see lady who is housebound, marathon runners breaking receiving regular visits from their bodies in support of our Without a doubt I have one our homecare worker who she cause, 12 year olds allocating refers to as “her angel”. The part of their Bar/Bat Mitzvah of the best jobs in the Jewish homecare worker brings her presents to our projects, shopping, provides her with couples getting married community. Even after more reading material, cleans her encouraging donations over small wooden house, cooks gifts and thousands of others than 10 years leading this for her, washes her clothes, responding to our Pesach remarkable organisation you relates news from the nearest appeal or other fundraising Jewish Community Centre and, initiatives. Those acts of seldom hear me complain. I most importantly, holds her kindness, the love of helping hand and gives her company. others, the knowledge that each am lucky to wake up every I calculated that one hour’s and every one of us can change homecare in Ukraine costs just someone’s life, is a driver for morning and feel a sense of £3 – immeasurably cheaper me to try and do even more. than the same provision here. purpose in my responsibilities, Without such simple practical One day technology will enable support, the older Jewish client all of our supporters to meet knowing that whatever the wouldn’t be alive today. I always and hear from those we help; reflect with amazement how we to hear their story, feel their issue or however menial the are able to convert a donation struggle and participate in their coming through our letterbox future. In the meantime let me task, there is a greater goal into the delivery of such a say a big thank you on their service. One recipient out of behalf for all your help. You beyond it. over 80,000 who benefited from cannot imagine the difference our help last year. it makes. Thank you. 3 Relative Values Ingrid Silver, 44, and her son Danny, 12, recount the experience of receiving historical records of family members who escaped Nazi-occupied Europe with the help of World Jewish Relief. German, why we use certain quirky words, why we eat our Ingrid traditional foods. Sitting at my desk late one night I saw an email from World Jewish Relief explaining the archives project. So I emailed my It was very surreal opening the files, but it made it all much more grandparents’ names, as well as my grandfather’s sister and real and concrete – things that had never been clear, like how grandmother’s mother and the dates of birth I knew. The very long it was between each of my grandparents’ arrivals in London, next day papers came through. I printed them out and that Friday because they had to come separately. The way my grandmother night I passed them around the table. Sharing that on Shabbat had talked about it made it seem like it was such a long time was special in itself, so life-affirming and meaningful considering when in reality it was just two months. I guess for newlyweds that what happened to my family because they were Jewish. seems a long time! I loved showing Danny that these people existed, and bringing Without these files I wouldn’t have fully understood the logistics them to life in some way. With Danny preparing for his Bar of coming here. I knew they were helped but didn’t realise Mitzvah and becoming even more aware of his Jewish identity, World Jewish Relief was the same organisation that helped my it’s a fitting time for him to place his own story and life in the grandparents then. When I look at my kids I’m reminded that wider context of his family background. Seeing their names, without World Jewish Relief we wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be their handwriting, their story, helps me explain why I understand here. It’s as simple as that. their wedding anniversary but had used the words ‘wedding day’. Danny Mum said that might have saved her life. I learnt so much from these files, both about my family story and also about history. Like the story my mum told me when we read I’d been with my family to see where Omi and Opi had lived in a file that says that her Opi spoke a little English, which is funny Vienna before they came here and I’ve met some of my extended because my great Grandma told my mum they took English family around the world, but these files helped bring the story to classes before they came here but said they didn’t learn very life even more. much because they were busy holding hands under the table! It’s weird how they ended up in London but left and then how my Going through the files also reminded us both of family stories. own mum ended up in London too, having come from Australia. Like how Omi begged officials in Vienna to be allowed to come The most incredible thing was seeing how they lived just round here to get married, but had actually mixed up the words in the corner from us. Mum has been living here for almost 20 years English. She was trying to say she wanted to be with Opi for and had no idea! They must have gone to the same shul as us and now we’ve been able to walk around there to see where they lived. If your family arrived in the UK from Austria or Germany in the 1930s or 40s, World Jewish Relief may hold their records too. We want to give them back to you, for free. Find out if we helped your family at www.worldjewishrelief.org/archives or call 020 8736 1250 4 Supporting the world’s most vulnerable Jews It is scarcely believable how We work across every generation; much poverty exists within our from supporting older people, to global Jewish family. For those working with their children and who are old and sick or lonely, grandchildren so they can put or young and unable to support food on their families’ tables. It’s their families, life in countries the youngest who will benefit including Ukraine, Moldova or in the long run, growing up in Belarus is hard. Through expert, homes full of hope. Here are a targeted interventions, together two stories of people we have we can help. Together we can helped recently. end Jewish poverty. 5 ALEXANDRA IS THE LAST AUSCHWITZ SURVIVOR LIVING IN MOLDOVA TODAY. PREVIOUSLY STRUGGLING IN A DILAPIDATED FLAT, WE ARE HELPING ALEXANDRA LIVE IN THE SAFETY AND DIGNITY SHE DESERVES. Alexandra has two children and three grandchildren but lives alone having been widowed some years ago. She participates in meetings at the Jewish community centre, often speaking about her experience in the Holocaust. Recently, the roof of Alexandra’s apartment sprung a leak, leading to terrible damp. Her ceiling, walls and furniture were damaged, compromising her health and safety. On her tiny pension, Alexandra could never afford to make the repairs herself, so World Jewish Relief stepped in. Through our Home Repairs programme we were able to repair Alexandra’s roof and the damage. She said, “I feel that I can live a dignified and beautiful life now. This is a wonderful gift and for all this I am so grateful”. World Jewish Relief’s Home Repairs programme provides practical and immediate help to Jewish people whose homes are in terrible disrepair. We create healthier, safer living environments for thousands; part of an holistic approach to meeting the physical and emotional needs of older people. INNA LIVES IN ZAPOROZHYE, UKRAINE, SHE SHARES A CRAMPED FLAT WITH HER EIGHT-YEAR-OLD SON AND HER PARENTS, INCLUDING HER DISABLED FATHER. WHEN INNA BECAME UNEMPLOYED, SHE TURNED TO US FOR HELP. When the war broke out, the family’s total income dropped to £87 per month, not enough to cover even the basics. Inna struggled to find work, losing her self esteem. After being recommended to our Livelihood Programme, Inna received assistance with writing her CV and interview skills so that she could get a job.