Friends,
Below are some of my thoughts and observations during my unforgettable trip to Poland.
Monday, April 4, 2022
Our journey started as Jeff Kirshenbaum checked into United with 28 bags of Humanitarian goods. Our flights were easy, and we are so thankful to Bob Lohrman for making all our arrangements.
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
As we embarked on our journey, it was essential for me to express why I thought this mission was so important. Jeff and I came to see the incredible work being done by a host of Jewish and secular organizations: organizations such as the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), Natan, The JCC in Warsaw; all working under the umbrella of the Jewish Federation & Jewish Agency. We came both to witness and help raise awareness for this vital work back in Omaha.
When we arrived in Warsaw, we were immediately met by JFNA staff and shortly joined the other 25 members of our trip from all over North America. Our first stop was to drop off goods at a makeshift distribution center at the Nozyk Synagogue in Warsaw. It was remarkable to see all the humanitarian goods brought from Omaha and its sister Federation Communities. The speaker from the JDC explained that besides the work they have been doing for women and children, they have also been helping to relocate Holocaust Survivors who were looking to leave Ukraine (at least in the short term). As with many refugees, the JDC explained that most of the refugees want to return to Ukraine and so are choosing to relocate for the time being throughout the EU. The last choice is to fly across the Atlantic unless they have family in the US. Ironically, many of the refugees are choosing to go to Germany; these elderly Jews want to go to Germany as they see it as the best place for their families.
Following our tour of the JDC facility and unloading all our humanitarian aid we headed for the Focus Hotel. The Focus Hotel is near the center of Warsaw. This is a lovely, 4-star hotel with quality accommodations, modern furniture, and great Wi-Fi. The hotel, and a few others, have been leased by the JDC and The Jewish Agency for Israel to house people who have fled Ukraine with the hopes of making Aliyah to Israel.
The Israeli government has established a fully staffed hospital at the hotel and also has set up a mobile consulate to speed-process citizenship for each person. In addition, there have been almost daily flights to Israel – mostly chartered – to bring Ukrainian citizens to Israel. Upon arriving in Israel, they immediately receive an Israeli Passport and earn full citizenship. They then go to an absorption center that begins the process of integrating them into Israeli society.
It is absolutely remarkable and extremely hard to put into words the logistics and collaboration that had to come into place between The Jewish Agency and The JDC. As we left The Focus Hotel, we were given a few facts and figures:
- 68,955 - number of calls starting on Feb 24 to make Aliyah and ask for assistance
- 8,998 - Ukrainians who have made Aliyah (as of 4/4/22)
- 11,046 - Russian applications for Aliyah. This is a less talked about dilemma but an essential piece of the story.
- 5,000 - number of non-Jews that Israel will absorb
- 5 - countries, including Poland that are helping Jewish refugees
- $41,302,939 - monies raised by the Jewish Community has raised
While at the hotel, we heard several incredible stories. One story was from a gentleman whose mother had been designated a righteous gentile by Yad Vashem for saving a Jewish family during WWII. Due to their family's status as righteous gentiles, they could gain entry from Ukraine to Israel.
After returning to the Marriott, we were honored to hear from the newly minted Israeli Ambassador to Poland, Honorable Yakov Livne. He and his office have worked to help the 15,000 Israeli get out of Ukraine and build up the Jewish Agency presence in Warsaw to help Ukrainian Jews get to Israel. He also spoke passionately about how Poland has stepped up throughout this conflict. Israel is the only country operating a field hospital within Ukraine.
We then heard from Rabbi Michael Schudrich, Chief Rabbi of Poland. Rabbi Schudrich explained that as soon as the war broke out, a Crisis Management System among all Polish Jewish network agencies was established. Rabbi Schudrich pointed out that "For hundreds of years Jews in Europe were the crisis, now we are the running the crisis management center."
Not being able to sleep last night, I took a much-needed walk. First, I felt the need to take a walk to see the monument to Janusz Korczak, the Polish Jewish Doctor who ran an orphanage saving countless Jewish children (pictured below). Afterward, I walked a few blocks to see one of the monuments of the Warsaw Ghetto. It was difficult, if not impossible, to live with the dissonance of walking through a beautiful modern city and yet right in the middle are monuments to our people's past that took place no more than 80 years ago.
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
As I write this, we are on our way to Medyka, Poland, a town on the border with Ukraine.
Everywhere Jeff and I go, folks ask where we are from, and we are proud to say - Omaha, Nebraska. Thank you for being on this journey with us.
