JDC (The Joint)

When her father passed away, Nelly Zhukova was left completely alone, without the means to cover even the most vital necessities — that is, until she connected with Tbilisi's JDC-supported Hesed Eliyahu social welfare center. There, Nelly found not only life-saving aid — food, medicine, winter survival assistance, and more — but the joyful Jewish life she'd always craved. "JDC is everything for me," Nelly said. "Just the thought that I will have food in my cupboards and electricity in my home gives me a warm feeling — the sense that I’m no longer alone."

JDC’s Emergency Command Center in Israel is helping 19 communities in the north to strengthen their emergency systems. This initiative ensures fast, personalized care for those who need it most. Phase 1 of this initiative included identifying the most vulnerable populations in each community to distribute emergency kits to them. We also improved how local authorities manage emergencies by appointing community coordinators to oversee emergency efforts, setting up data systems to track and organize information, and providing flexible budgets to help meet emergency needs. Now, as violence escalates near Israel’s northern border, the Command Center operates daily, addressing urgent needs with advanced real-time data tools from JDC’s Jerusalem headquarters. This includes delivering food, water, and baby supplies, supporting the elderly with nursing care and home assistance, organizing recreational activities for children and families, and offering psychological first aid through a custom app.

Congratulations to JDC’s network of volunteer centers in Ukraine on celebrating 10 years of life-saving work! Over the past decade, volunteers working alongside JDC have provided essential services —working with the elderly, developing programs for children, partnering with at-risk families, delivering humanitarian aid packages and more. This commitment was showcased at the third annual All-Ukrainian Volunteer Conference in the western Ukrainian city of Truskavets, which gathered 550 participants — including individuals with disabilities, internally displaced persons (IDPs), Hillel leaders, representatives from Active Jewish Teens (AJT), and Jewish communal professionals from more than 25 cities across Ukraine. Over four intensive days, participants engaged in valuable master classes, creative workshops, and informative lectures delivered by more than 100 speakers. These included professional psychologists, directors of Hesed social welfare centers and Jewish Community Centers (JCCs), JDC staff, guests from Israel, and even volunteers themselves, who shared their expertise and experiences contributing to the volunteer movement. Additional activities included Jewish and Shabbat dance classes, yoga and relaxation sessions, art and culinary workshops, as well as celebrations of Shabbat and havdalah. “Over the past 10 years, the volunteer movement among Jewish communities in Ukraine has gone through a rich and transformative journey, facing challenges and responding to urgent emerging needs,” said Alex Shmidt, the director of JDC programs in the country. “Now, volunteers are the cornerstone of Jewish community life today.”

Today, women comprise 70 percent of the 1.3 billion people living in conditions of poverty. When these women have access to education, employment opportunities, financial resources, and healthcare, they are empowered to make decisions about their own lives and advocate for their families and communities. JDC brings its Jewish humanitarian values and expertise to address slow-moving crises such as endemic poverty, food insecurity, and lack of healthcare by helping women in developing countries to thrive. JDC programs are enabling women to start beekeeping businesses in South Africa, implement sustainable agriculture in Ethiopia, and access mother and baby healthcare in Haiti. This work was recently featured in Jerusalem Post.

Earlier this month, Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) held their General Assembly in Washington, D.C., uniting Jewish communities worldwide to address the most pressing issues facing Jews today. The programming showcased an impressive lineup of JDC leaders and speakers, including Ariel Zwang, CEO of JDC; Annie Sandler, President of JDC; Adi Blutner, Director of JDC Israel Emergency Employment Programs; Anastasiia Fursova, Head of Innovation Projects at JCC Solomonika in Ukraine; Amos Lev-Ran, Director of JDC-FSU (Former Soviet Union); Captain (Res.) Israel Ben Shitrit, a beneficiary of a JDC emergency employment program; Reeva Ninio, Chief of Staff at JDC Israel; and Shaun Hoffman, Executive Director of JDC Entwine. JDC was also featured in breakout sessions on critical topics, including “Emergency Response Reimagined: Innovative Solutions for Israel’s Emergency Needs,” which highlighted how JDC shapes Israel's emergency response landscape. Another session, “Supporting Ukraine: A Jewish and Humanitarian Imperative,” delved into the ongoing conflict’s impact on the Ukrainian Jewish community, the continuing humanitarian crisis, and its broader implications. The event also featured a recreation of a JDC “Quiet Room,” one of the trauma therapies successfully used in evacuee hotels, rehabilitation wards, and community centers in the Gaza envelope. With thoughtful design and equipment ranging from noise-cancelling headphones, weighted blankets, and VR (virtual reality) glasses, those entering the rooms are immersed in a neutral and pleasant environment which reduces sensory irritations and bolsters the ability for effective self-regulation. This exhibit was an interactive opportunity for GA guests to experience JDC’s work in real time.

Shabbat Shalom from Gori, Georgia! Watch Anna Maisuradze, a young Jewish leader, sing a traditional song on the panduri.

Homecare workers are vitally important for many JDC clients in the former Soviet Union — they’re frequently described as the client’s “eyes, hands, and ears,” and are often the only contact these elderly Jews have with the outside world. We recently sat down with Alexander S., 79, of Poltava, Ukraine, and his homecare worker, Valentina, to talk about why this life-saving assistance matters, what it looks like in real time, and how Alexander’s life would be different without it. Read the full article from our JDC Voices Blog: https://bit.ly/4g0clP0

Earlier this week, the JDC-supported Beit Dan Jewish Community Center (JCC) hosted a Global Day of Jewish Learning. The event centered on the theme of “One People,” exploring the deep connections that unite Jewish communities worldwide. Attendees engaged in enriching classes such as “Diversity of Jewish Diaspora Communities,” “One People: Different Opinions: Unity and Divisions in the Modern Jewish World,” and “Collective Memory,” which discussed pivotal moments in Jewish history. Other master classes included mezuzah making and a screening of “Screams Before Silence,” followed by a Q&A with the director, which explored the events of October 7 and their impact on Jews in Israel. For younger participants, there was also a screening of the classic movie “The Prince of Egypt.”

More than 1,000 days into the Ukraine crisis, Elmira K. — manager of the Social Assistance Center at the JDC-supported Hesed Bnei Azriel in Kyiv — explains how the help that JDC provides the Jewish community is absolutely essential at this time.

1,000 days into the Ukraine crisis, JDC remains steadfast in supporting the most vulnerable Jews, providing essential aid such as homecare, food, medicine, winter relief, trauma support, and more. Learn more about JDC’s work in Ukraine: https://lnkd.in/extGzrSy