Expressions of Gratitude

NOVEMBER 15TH 2024

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For the past 2 ½ years we have been providing aid to Ukrainians in need, across the country, especially women and children. We often receive expressions of gratitude, and below we share several from the past few weeks. It is an honor to help gracious and strong people who find a way to appreciate others even as they continue to struggle.

Dear JRNU:

I am a single mother raising Nina, my 16-year-old daughter. I had been working as a cashier in a local store until I was laid off. We manage to make ends meet, barely covering expenses for clothing and food.

We are very grateful to all the caring people who help us, with material goods as well as moral support. We know that we are not alone, and we are not forgotten. This helps us a lot in this difficult and troubled time.

Sincerely, Nina Nesterenko

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Irina has been living with her daughter Valeria and her granddaughter Lera for several years. At the beginning of the war, Lera’s father volunteered to serve his country. Valeria is a primary school teacher with a modest salary. A few months ago, she damaged her right hand and has had difficulty writing ever since; as a result, she can no longer work in the classroom and was reassigned within the school.

Lera has been ill since an early age. At 5, Lera was diagnosed with a thyroid disease and has been taking hormones ever since.

The Karanda family wrote to express their sincere gratitude for the invaluable help they have received.

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Ms. Reznyck studied at the Mahon Jewish University in Zhitomir as a young woman. After graduation, she returned home to a small town in the Vinnytsia region. She married and gave birth to a little girl. Sadly, her husband left after a few years, and she took a job at a cafe to earn a living for herself and her daughter. The local rabbi suggested that Ms. Reznyck move with her mother and daughter to Zhytomyr: “He gave me an apartment for temporary living; my mother went to work in a Jewish kindergarten as a teacher of Jewish traditions, and my daughter is studying at a Jewish school.”

"It is difficult to find words to express our gratitude. Thanks to your help, we were able to overcome many difficulties. Your support has become a real gift of fate for us."

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As a young woman, Olga moved to Israel with her mother and grandmother. Tragically, first her mother and then her grandmother died of cancer leaving Olga alone. She returned to Ukraine where her father had remained, and she met her future husband several years later.

After nearly giving up hope that they would ever have a child, Olga and her husband were blessed with little Emilia, making their life complete. The invasion of 2022 upended their happy home; the father moved far away, to find work in the Zhytomyr region. Olga and Emilia miss him a great deal--they see him only occasionally on weekends.

Olga and Emilia regularly come to the local synagogue to receive aid distributions, always with a smile and a word of thanks: “The support we receive maintains our faith in the kindness of people,” Olga noted.