Next week marks four years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Four years of war, displacement, fear, and profound uncertainty for millions. Since the beginning of the war in 2022, Masorti Olami and the Schechter Institutes have worked side by side to support our Masorti/Conservative communities on the ground. The partnership has helped evacuate hundreds of refugees and provided lifesaving assistance, including food, medicine, warm clothing, heating solutions, generators, transportation, shelter, and essential educational and religious materials. This work has continued without interruption because the needs have never stopped.

Our communities in Kyiv, Chernivtsi, Odesa, and Kharkiv, including NOAM children and families, have just endured one of the harshest winters recorded in over sixteen years, with temperatures dropping to −10 to −16°C (14 to 3.2°F) and widespread power outages caused by ongoing bombardments and damaged infrastructure.

Electricity and heating systems are more unstable than ever before. Water shortages persist. Many families continue to live days with limited to no access to hot meals, ovens, lighting, internet, and basic services. Elderly community members, children, and people with limited mobility remain especially vulnerable. The challenges did not disappear with the snow. They simply changed form.



Alongside the physical hardship, the emotional and mental toll of years of war continues to deepen. Prolonged uncertainty, displacement, isolation, and constant stress are affecting children, parents, and elderly community members alike. Access to professional psychological and emotional support has become an essential need, and helping provide that support is a growing part of our ongoing response.

Today, as we mark this heartbreaking milestone, we are re-launching our Ukraine Emergency Campaign and need your help. This campaign will focus on urgent, practical needs identified together with local community leadership:

• Portable power banks
• Food delivery for those unable to leave their homes
• Hot prepared meals for people without gas or electricity
• Wooden briquettes (compressed wood blocks) for heating stoves
• 20-liter water bottles with pumps
• Battery-powered lamps
• Portable gas burners
• Access to professional psychological and emotional support for children, families, and elderly community members
• And much more

This is not a one-season emergency. It is an ongoing reality that demands sustained action.

We also want to pause and express our deep appreciation to our partners and donors around the world. Your continued commitment and generosity have made it possible for this work to continue, month after month, through changing conditions and ongoing uncertainty. Thanks to your support, our communities in Ukraine are not facing this crisis alone.