The Power of the Collective

We say it all the time: “The Power of the Collective.” The past few days I have seen these words in practice like never before.

I just returned from two days on the ground in Poland and at the border with Ukraine bearing witness as JUF’s partners on the ground helped refugees fleeing for their lives. The visit was part of a Jewish Federations of North America leadership mission–alongside my friend and fellow JUF Board member David T. Brown.

The war in Ukraine is a nightmare beyond imagination. It is hard to believe that this is happening in the 21st century, but I saw it with my own eyes.

When you hear the word “refugees,” you picture a mass of people. I met them; I saw them cross the border with one small suitcase and sometimes a dog or a cat. I looked them in the eyes and felt their pain. It was very quiet; the children were eerily subdued. The silence was deafening. What scars will they carry with them?

The stories break your heart. Men ages 18-60 are required to stay in Ukraine to fight. Not only are families forced to leave their homes, but they are also torn apart.

We met a mother who took two small children across the border to Poland. She stood outside in the cold, overnight, holding her 3-year-old in her arms and her 5-year-old by the hand, waiting to be processed at the border. She has a brother in Israel who begged her to come a month ago, but she didn’t believe there would be a war. She is going to Israel next week, but doesn’t know when she will see her husband, or if she can ever go home.

I also met Esther, a doctor who fled Ukraine with her daughter and granddaughter after spending a week huddled under their stairs as bombs rained down around them. They had 20 minutes to pack their belongings and get on a bus. They just want the war to end so they can go home. You can see the fear in their eyes. What will remain of their homes? When will this horror end?

Each story is unique, yet each one is the same. The Ukrainians we met cried, expressed a sense of disbelief and a sense of appreciation for the assistance they have received and will continue to receive.

Which brings me back to the power of the collective. Because our Federated system was here yesterday and the day before, it gives us the ability to react today. To save lives NOW.

Supported by JUF and Federations around the continent, our partners on the ground–the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Jewish Agency for Israel, and World ORT–have long cared for those in need and enabled Jewish life to thrive. Fueled by our support, they built the infrastructure that made it possible to mobilize immediately when the war started, bringing people across the border, providing safe haven and delivering humanitarian aid.

At the border crossing, volunteers from all walks of life offer refugees food, clothes, SIM cards, and much more. The coordination and collaboration among our partners and other NGOs serving refugees is amazing.

We went to the hotels where people are being temporarily housed. About one-third of the refugees want to go to Israel, and JAFI is expediting the process for aliyah at an unbelievable pace, bringing 2,000 Ukrainians to Israel over the past two weeks–nearly as many as came in all of 2021.

The case workers are exhausted, but say they have the strength to go on because they have the power to never turn anyone away, Jews and non-Jews alike. And there is a glimmer of hope among the refugees and the professionals serving them that comes from this outpouring of kindness and support.

We are standing up for them. We need to continue to do this for months and months to come, long after the war ceases to be front-page news. I am so proud to be a part of JUF and the Jewish Federations of North America. With your help, we are truly saving lives. May we continue to find the strength and resources to continue this holy work.

We will help as long as our people need us; that’s the power of the collective.

Wendy Abrams is Vice Chair of the JUF Board of Directors and Chair of the Overall Planning and Allocations Committee.