People are lining up to receive food packages and seder kits, and preparations are underway for communal seders where 14,500 people will celebrate the holiday of freedom. For the third year in a row, with support from our generous partners, we have brought Passover to the Jews of Ukraine: 40 tons of matzah and nearly as much chicken along with 35,000 bottles of grape juice.
In addition to the essential items (matzah, grape juice, meat, fruits and vegetables), each Passover box includes a Haggadah and guidebook to provide important holiday details and instructions. In order to ensure no one goes hungry throughout the holiday, an additional food package is provided to families in need.
Passover is particularly special in Odessa, a city that has always had a large and prominent Jewish community. In the port city with a rich history of welcoming people and goods from all parts of the world, there is sadness and uncertainty about what the future will bring. But for the Passover holiday, when everyone is obligated to see themselves as if they themselves came out of Egypt, people will celebrate with their friends and families.
We hope and pray that next Passover we will rejoice in peace, in Ukraine, and Israel, and throughout the world. Together we save lives and restore hope.
