“I was six years old. It was a bitter winter—snow and wind outside. I came home from kindergarten sick and stayed in bed. That evening, one of the counselors came in. She brought me hot soup, sat by my side, and told me a story until I fell asleep. The next morning, I woke up and saw her still sitting there, holding my hand all night. That was the moment I realized I wasn’t alone. I had teachers, friends, a rabbi who cared, counselors who played with me, a cook who made meals, caregivers who fed me—warmth and love from every side. That moment gave me an inner backbone that still holds me steady to this day.”
These are the words of Igor Shatkin who grew up in the Mishpacha Orphanage in Odessa Ukraine; one of the many institutions we support in the region’s Jewish community. This Jerusalem Post article describes how Mr. Shatkin grew up to become President of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Southern Ukraine, overseeing the institutions that supported him throughout his life. It is an honor and privilege to partner with Mr. Shatkin and Rabbi Avraham Wolff, to care for the young and the old in Odessa’s Jewish community--in the nurseries, schools, orphanages, homes for the elderly, soup kitchens and much more. Together we ensure no one is forgotten and no one is left behind; we save lives and restore hope.
