Monday, June 30, 2008

Return to Reality by Sasha

June 15th seems like a lifetime ago, in so many ways it is. Having gone back to Ukraine I can no longer say I am disconnected or removed from a country that could have been my only motherland. Meeting the Dnepro Hillel peers I can now say I have friends in Ukraine and there is so much promise and possibility there.
My memories, although so recent, flitter between various instances. From the first encounter with grinning guys who would rather carry my luggage than roll it, to authentic Russian Banya, to the night promenade walks, and to the wheat fields of yellow and sky of blue the represent the Ukrainian flag. I was born in Ukraine and now I can say I have seen only a snippet of its vastness. The true respect I have is for the people who volunteer their time and abilities to help those in need, the elderly and the children. My respect goes to those who see possibilities without end or how Elessya said "who dream impossible, insane dreams." Because, like she said, within the insanity of impossibility there lie the possibilities of incredible things.
To say truthfully, I cannot predict (with the time spent in Ukraine) how the communities we visited will develop. There is still so much movement, change, and even immigration. What I can say is that I've made friendships that I truly treasure with people I had never known existed; with an extended family that I see will push forward for progress and has the determination to succeed.

Friday, June 27, 2008



Relaxing in Dnepro Park near the River

Monday, June 23, 2008

Lubov, by Julian

Hi, I'm Julian, and I want to tell a story of an elderly woman I visited, who touched me.  On Wednesday, I and three others met Lubov, a 92 year old Jewish woman who has not left her bed in seven years. Lubov is completely alone; she has no husband, children, or living relatives. She relies on Hesed to meet her most basic needs for food and for any and all human interaction. Without Hesed, she would be completely alone. When Lubov became bed-ridden, all she could do was read, write poems, and watch TV to pass the time. When I visited her, she leaned over to me and in a quiet whisper told me that she would reveal a secret. She had written a book of poems about life, death, love, family, nature, and every subject you can imagine. Although they were in Russian and difficult to understand (I’ve got one year of college Russian under my belt), the way she read them and the look of pure joy on her face was enough for me to understand what these poems meant to her. This was the first time she had ever read these poems out loud, and the fact that she revealed them to my peers and me, made me feel just as happy as she was because I was able—just by listening—to make her day better. In fact, the poems were so good that at the end of the session, I asked her if I could copy her poems so that I could take them home with me and spread her story. Today, she cannot even read or write because her eyesight has deteriorated.

The Ethnic Village, by Sam

Riding along in our air conditioned bus listening to tunes of the Beatles and the Eagles on an iPod, it was hard for me to count the items of Westernized culture that I was surrounded by. A Jansport backpack, Old Navy flip flops, even my hair products. And yet it was the scenery of vast golden wheat fields, the remnants of what could once have been shtetls, and a neighborhood of houses every acre or so that captured my attention. The lack of tall buildings, commercialized stores and adjacent cars on the highway was distracting because I had no basis upon which to compare the Westernized cities to which I’m accustomed to the Ukrainian ones I have recently been introduced to. Upon arriving at our destination, a wheat field to be the site of an “Ethnic Village,” I was not prepared for the teachings I would find in the “nothingness” of the field. When we are not surrounded by man-made structures and devices, we turn our attention to what we can create out of nature and to a sense of community and togetherness. Whether we helped cutting wheat in the field, bundling wheat, gathering water at a mystic well, cooking for all, or creating traditional Ukrainian wreaths of flowers to wear in our hair, we realized how easy it was to fill in the spaces. The questions “What does it mean to be a Jew?” and “Why do I feel a natural bond with the people around me?” seem to arise. And although I was aware of the vastness of the answers to these questions I felt internally peaceful. Because I knew I had peers and friends who were simultaneously thinking the same thing. So long as we were curious I knew that there would always be the hope of finding the answers.
For me the answers to my questions were hinted at by the ability to revoke our history and our penchant attitude toward food. As I cut and bundled the wheat I couldn’t help but thinks of the millions of Ukrainians, Eastern Europeans, and Jews who had conducted this very same procedure as a means of livelihood. As I pulled up the water from the unique well I thought of the people that had pulled the same lever to get this essential liquid. What did they need it for and in what context of events? And as I assorted a salad of flavorful tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and, of course, dill, I felt the eternal joy of preparing food for the enjoyment and fulfillment of a Jewish community, a large family of sorts.
One might say that in the end I found myself in the same place that I had started. As we sat on laid out rugs, under the shade of an alcove of trees, singing and listening to an acoustic version of Hotel California, the Eagles appeared to be just as pertinent to society as ever before. I was still wearing my flip-flops although they were encrusted with more dirt, my backpack was a foot away and my hair was in one piece. But one could also say that we vicariously used this classic song to finish filling in the spaces within ourselves and among one another. The joy of singing it and listening to it by Ukrainians and Americans alike, city dwellers and villagers, reminded us of our human and Jewish tendencies toward family, community and tradition. The shoes that I was wearing, the bag on my back, these were all physical items that allowed me to embark on a journey that led to pure, utmost satisfaction.
By the end of the singing session and our musical enlightenment I was assured that it was not just the music which had allowed us to feel that sense of oneness and community, it was the experiences from that day and this whole adventure that have finally allowed us to communicate the oneness we felt via the music. And as I felt the need to find another medium of communication to deliver this message of community, of shared history and togetherness to Jews and non-Jews anywhere I embarked on an altogether different journey. How can words describe the feelings what I felt today? And so in my best attempt to take on this new challenge I began to write: “Riding along in our air conditioned bus…”

Shabbat and Zaparozhye, by Lauren

Priviet!

This is Lauren blogging from Zaporozhye, Ukraine. It’s Sunday evening and our group is on the bus heading back to Dnepropetrovsk from a true bread basket experience. Out the left window is every shade of green imaginable and to my right is an overwhelming sunset. From the back of the bus our Ukrainian peers are playing a guitar, beating a drum, and singing their hearts out.
This whole week has been a remarkable experience, and it is sad to think there is only one day left when there is so much more to see. Considering this, I’m sure you can imagine that we are very tired, which is why Shabbat could not have come too soon. Yesterday, on Shabbat afternoon, we walked to the Dnepropetrovsk Chabad Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetsky’s house for lunch and had a four hour meal. No, you read that correctly; we sat there for four hours as our delicious lunch overlapped into our dinner. Then we topped the evening off with a Ukrainian sauna experience in the local banya. As Rabbi Ed and some students competed to find the fastest way to convert degrees Celsius into Fahrenheit (R’Ed won with “take the Celsius temp, add 15 and multiply by two.” OK, its close enough), I relaxed and enjoyed getting whacked with eucalyptus leaves (yes Mom, I did that for you). A rejuvenating Shabbat was just what we needed in order to wake up this morning.

Even though we dealt with the frustrations of temperature conversion on Saturday night, and deal daily with a difficult language barrier, we learned this morning that hand games and friendship bracelets are universal. We visited an orphanage where we worked on art projects and completed therapy exercises with the children. I also learned that I don’t have my mother’s talent for crocheting scarves. By the end of the session, I knew how to say “hold it like a spoon” in Russian. (The only other thing I’ve heard repeated enough to learn was “thank you” and “yes.”)

Our afternoon was spent clearing brush for an “Ethnic Village,” an idea of Zaporozhye’s JCC Director, Inessa. Because Zaparozhye is such a multi-ethnic city, Inessa wanted to build on the success of the Jewish Community to help foster growth and pride for all of the other ethnic groups. She has secured a piece of land and has a vision of an Epcot type village with “compounds” for all of the ethic communities of Zaparozhye. The first thing I did was use a sickle to hack away at tall stalks. I also used a knife bigger than both my arms and got to drive a tractor. And although I had a great deal of fun, our time there was also meaningful because we were able to break ground on a project that will bring so many positive things to an area that has had to deal with so many struggles.

This trip has been eye-opening, tough, and will without any doubt greatly affect all our futures. Among our late night conversations, our immediate and long term goals are a repeating topic. And although I am aware I am on a service learning trip, it is still surprising to realize how much other people care about your visit to them. I am taking a mere ten days out of my life to spend it here in Ukraine, and this visit alone has already impacted their community a great deal. It’s scary to realize, but the American name carries so much with it. When we are introduced in a room, our nationality is the most important thing. We are followed around like paparazzi. We have already had two television stations interview our group. We were even visited by the Deputy Mayor of Melitopol. Although we have limited time, every moment we spend in each place sends the message that we care.

We were told at the beginning of our day that the local government gives little aid to the orphanage. However, JDC’s involvement with the orphanage has raised the government’s attention. And today, Americans visited those orphans.

Even though I couldn’t give all two hundred kids a friendship bracelet, I am pleased that our small group of twenty Americans could get the local government to sit up in their chairs, if only for a short moment.

Laila Tov.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Melitopol, by Emily and Alex

Hi! This is Alex and Emily blogging from Melitopol, three and a half hours south of Dnepro. We’ve just spent the past two days renovating the Hesed here. The Hesed is on a compound with different buildings including the main center, former synagogue, old saloon and mikvah, playground, and JCC. This compound has been standing in Melitopol for 120 years, which had a thriving Jewish community before World War II. Half of the city’s population was Jewish; however, today, only 3,500 Jews call the city of 500,000 home.

When we first arrived, the director of Hesed in Melitopol warmly welcomed us and led us on a tour of the facility. We got right to work fixing up the historic Hesed building. Let’s just say there was a lot of work to be done! We split into two groups – one group worked inside and the other outside. The group working indoors worked on painting two rooms in the Hesed, a nursery and a computer lab. Members of this group first stripped the old paint and plastered cracks. If there were large cracks in the walls, they stuffed gauze and cotton balls in the cracks and then plastered over this. Next, after allowing the plaster to dry, they sandpapered to smooth the wall, applied paint primer, and painted the rooms a cheerful hue of lavender. The other group focused on repainting the brick exterior of the Hesed building. The painting process outside was very similar to that inside. The group scraped the old paint off of the building, plastered any holes or cracks, primed the building, and painted the building a shade of peach with white and brown trimmed windows. It was a lot of hard work, but we were all happy to help out and get dirty! Some local news cameras and photographers even came and interviewed a few people for the news! In addition, the mayor of the city stopped by and praised our work. She explained to us that there are over 100 ethnicities represented in Melitopol, and that our work is very much appreciated.

While doing home visits has been a unique part of our trip, painting the Melitopol Hesed is meaningful in a different, yet equally important way. A well-kept Hesed, with fresh, newly painted walls will allow the Jewish community to feel a sense of integrity and pride every time they enter the Hesed. In addition, a cared-for exterior shows regular passer-bys that the Jews care about this place.

Similarly, Jewish pride was felt at dinner last night at the Hesed. After lighting a bonfire, we sang, danced, and ate under the stars. Members of the community, including a dance troupe spent time with us and entertained us. We danced to Israeli and Ukrainian folk music. One man strummed his guitar and serenaded us; we even sang “Yesterday” by the Beatles together. Dinner was delicious. We ate fresh cherries and strawberries, pickles, olives, bread, coleslaw, potatoes with dill, Emily’s favorite, sautéed onions and mushrooms, and roasted chicken drumsticks.

We’re having a great time, and looking forward to celebrating Shabbat tonight back in Dnepro.

Connecting with Needy Jewish Elderly, by Angie

Today we divided into small groups and together with Dnepro Hillel students we were fortunate enough to visit the elderly and children at risk from the Jewish community. Personally, this day was incredibly inspirational and educational, because I felt as though I had received the love and blessings from the elderly in another part of the world, along with enriched knowledge about their lives as Jews during the WWII and the former Soviet Union.
My first home visit was to an elderly woman whose name is, Rachil and she is 86 years old. She has no family. Her father died when she was 2 years old and her mother was left without a husband raising three children. When the Second World War broke out, one of her brothers was sent to fight against the Germans. Unfortunately, he was killed during the war. As years passed Rachil had also lost her mother and her second brother. Rachil was married but sadly her husband passed away in 1990, leaving her completely alone. However, despite her challenging life, Rachil is one of the brightest, most enthusiastic, and loving individuals that I have met, I can truly say she touched my soul in a special way with her inspirational story. I walked away with the understanding that every cloud has a silver lining. Rachil was eager to tell our group about her story during the war. She used to work in a hospital in her hometown of Melitopol, until the Nazis invaded. It seemed as though she loved what she did, and her craft truly made her happy. Rachil had also explained to us that life after the war was very difficult, however, little by little after her move to Dnepropetrovsk her life was coming back together.
Since the foundation of the Dnepropetrovsk Hesed Welfare Center in 1994, Rachil became one of the first Hesed volunteers. Her passion for work and helping others had transitioned from her days of working in the hospital during WWII. Rachil’s participation in community life was repeatedly honored as a Distinguished Hesed Volunteer. I was intrigued that she was involved with music, being one of the soloists of the Hesed volunteers’ choir. Coming from a musical background, I was particularly touched. Our group had asked her to sing for us and at first she felt a bit shy. Finally, the Hesed workers motivated her to sing a song called “Sunshine.” Rachil smiled gladly, and sang a beautiful tune. During her song, I got a bit emotional, because I knew that this elderly woman had absolutely no one and yet she was joyful and sang this beautiful song with a huge smile on her face. Rachil was singing from the bottom of her heart to us and referred to some of us as her “Sunshines.” Indeed, we had all brought a light into Rachil’s life.
Our group took a picture with Rachil and we showed it to her on one of the digital cameras. She looked as cheerful as can be, and I had promised her that we will send her that picture, so that she could look at it forever. When we were saying goodbye, Rachil had blessed us with future success, happiness and health. Her last words to us were, that she had never imagined that beautiful young ladies would visit her and show such commitment to this visit. I had truly felt rewarded, knowing that in some way, I had perhaps extended her life by a little bit. I was fortunate to receive vast knowledge and new appreciations for life form Rachil, while I could bring happiness, love and light into her life. Rachil will always be my Sunshine.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

First Days in Ukraine, by Bekah

June 16: We arrived in Kiev around 1 pm Ukrainian time and our flight to Dnepropetrovsk did not leave until 5. We used the time to observe our surroundings and the cultural differences between us and the Ukrainians. All we saw of Kiev was the airport and the plane, but on the ascent and descent into Dnepropetrovsk, we could see green, fertile looking land for miles. After the extensive amount of travel, we were all exhausted and just wanted to arrive at the hotel and rest. Our group walked into the main terminal at Dnepropetrovsk airport and all of a sudden a swarm of Ukrainian students swarmed around us and began to cheer. We saw Naomi and realized these were the Dnepropetrovsk Hillel students we would be spending the week with. They were all smiling and placed paper medals that said “World Champion Long Distance Travelers” around our necks. The boys all offered to take the girl’s bags and we walked outside to a double decker yellow bus.
All of us Americans stared out the windows on our drive to our hotel to get a feel for the city. Parts of it looked run down, but there were trees and people milling everywhere. It was a holiday in Dnepropetrovsk and so there were hundreds of people outdoors, particularly on the promenade along the Dnepro river near our hotel. The twenty of us got off the bus with our luggage and elicited many stares, clearly standing out as foreigners. Once settled, showered, and slightly rested at our hotel, we met downstairs and walked to the main synagogue in Dnepro, one of two. The synagogue was part of a complex that also contained a JCC and the Hillel students had dinner ready in a room upstairs. After we ate a meal of beets, potatoes, cabbage, and chicken, we sat in a large circle and everyone was introduced. Our energy level was clearly low, and so we ended the introductory session early. A few Ukrainian boys escorted a group of us to the supermarket, which was filled with drunk people buying snacks and alcohol after the football game. They then walked us back to the hotel where we gratefully fell into bed.

June 17: This morning we woke up and had breakfast in the hotel. We then took a bus to the JDC supported Hesed Center off of Karl Marx Boulevard where we were to spend the morning getting a tour of the facilities. Our tour guide opened the first door and a flood of singing filled the hallway. We all filed in, and saw a room of elderly people singing and dancing to Jewish music. They noticed us standing somewhat awkwardly in the corner and a few came over, grabbed our hands, and integrated us into their dancing circle. After dancing for a few minutes, we moved on to see the rest of Hesed, which means “loving kindness in Hebrew”. We saw a child’s day care center for children at risk, meaning children from one-parent families or who have parents with substance abuse problems. We saw the center for children with special needs, as well as the kindergarten room. The tour took us through the basement, where we saw a cobbler room, a room with antiques, and a room for mending clothes. Local volunteers give their time in order to provide free services for those who go to the center. We also saw a beauty salon and a rehabilitation room where crutches, canes, and other medical supplies are given out. The Hesed staff told us that over 400 volunteers offer their time and skills to those in need. We sat in for a choir concert and walked around the outdoor playground. After a delicious lunch, we divided into two groups to plan and facilitate activities for the kids at the center. We all had a wonderful time dressing up as superheroes, painting, and playing “Simon Says”, and after the activities, everyone went outside to plant flowers and play games. When 4:30 rolled around, we were all hesitant to leave, but filed on our bus for a quick trip to the nearby JCC to hear a klezmer band concert.
The musical group was excellent (having recently won an award at a klezmer festival in odessa) and we enjoyed their songs. The concert was followed by a tour to the Jewish sites in Dnepropetrovsk, led by a friendly Ukrainian student named Misha. We drove by a statue of Lenin, a library, the University, and a Holocaust memorial. We all disembarked from the bus and walked through a lane lined by trees. The sun was shining and it was a pleasant day to be outside. Our large group walked down the path and stopped in front of a rectangular grey monument, engraved in both Russian and Hebrew with Jewish stars. This was the memorial. It stood to commemorate the 11,000 Jews that were murdered over a two day period during World War II, October 13-14 1941. The massacre took place on the holiday of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. The Nazis had rounded up all the Jews attending services and led them to the expansive grassy space. Standing there as a group, hearing the stories the Ukrainian students told, and reading the inscription on the stone, I felt a profound sense of sadness that I had rarely felt as an American Jew. On this beautiful day in this peaceful place, where the sun was shining through the trees and a breeze blew lightly around us, we remembered the evil that took place 67 years before. It was strange to be standing on ground that played host to such horrific violence, and I think all of us felt the emotional energy that pulsed out of the ground and reminded us that it was a luxury we could stand there today, remembering our ancestors and openly being Jewish. Every student collected a rock to place in front of the memorial and Rabbi Ed said the Kaddish. One of the Ukrainian students noted that people rarely noticed the memorial as they walked by, but with us all standing there, they looked. Walking away from the monument, we were all quiet.
Once back on the bus, we drove to an authentic Ukrainian restaurant for dinner. The outside was charming and white with a brown roof, and just as we had all imagined a “Ukranian restaurant” would look. We sat at tables and attempted to decipher the Russian menu. With the help of our Russian speaking peers, we ordered successfully and had a delicious meal, complete with bread, borscht, beer, and blintzes for dessert. Four hours after arriving at the restaurant, we left, full, happy, and ready for another day.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008



Liza Rubenstein
"I am excited to experience a new place
and to make connections with Jewish
people across the world!


Sasha Baych
"My family immigrated from Ukraine and I am excited to go there and see how it is, to make a difference, and to learn about how communities are rebuilding."

Monday, June 2, 2008

Pre-trip Planning

Here are some updates, the count down for the trip has begun, FIVE days until take off (so excited). I am also attaching pictures and quotes from the people that have sent them to me, I will be updating this frequently so continue sending your photos along.


Rachel Reed:

"I see this trip as a window into Jewish life in another area and culture. I hope to understand more about where my relatives came from and in the process learn more about the Jewish traditions. The hands-on approach of the trip will hopefully enable us to make a difference in others' lives."

Jeffery Roshko
Cornell '11



Dina Diskin:

"I want to go there because I am from the Ukraine and I am very excited about doing service in my home country."







Tal Akabas:
"I am excited to see a new place and get a chance to help out!"






Joelle Milton:


" Hi there! So...I'm excited to see a new country and culture, help the Jewish community, and interact with Ukrainian teens."





As the first week of June begins I am thoroughly excited for two very important things. Firstly, I am just starting my internship with JDC Short-term programs, which I am sure will be a great way to learn more about what the JDC is and how to strengthen its connection on the Cornell campus. Secondly, a momentous trip to Dnepro, is a mere two weeks from starting. For me this trip signifies a great deal. This will be the first time I return to Ukraine since my family immigrated to the United States when I was four. I am not sure what to expect, but I am sure that all the experiences I will gain this summer will be character building and exceptionally unique.
As Paulo Coelho wrote in the Alchemist: "There is only one way to learn... It's through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey."