Project Kesher

Project Kesher Project Kesher builds Jewish community and civil society by developing women leaders.

After decades of developing more than 1,000 Jewish women leaders in Ukraine and secular partners at every level of Ukrainian society, the Project Kesher network has been at the forefront of responding to the humanitarian wartime needs of women and girls. In addition, Project Kesher serves as a thought leader convening trusted individuals and partner groups to set priorities, promote collaboration, communicate needs globally and fundraise inclusively with our partners.

On Holocaust Remembrance Day, we honor those murdered by the N**i regime while confronting the urgent relevance of this ...
04/21/2026

On Holocaust Remembrance Day, we honor those murdered by the N**i regime while confronting the urgent relevance of this history today. For many in Project Kesher Israel’s community—some with family histories shaped by the Holocaust, others who have faced persecution for their sexual orientation or gender identity—this is a time to reflect on memory, vulnerability, belonging, and responsibility. “Never Again” is not a given; it is a call to remain vigilant and to protect the humanity of our society.

In this spirit, PKI partnered with q***r activist and educator Pavel Khavkin to lead in-person sessions across LGBTQ+ groups in cities including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Be’er Sheva. At a time of heightened anxiety, gathering together has been especially meaningful.

Pavel’s lectures explore a history often left untold: the persecution of LGBTQ+ people before, during, and after World War II—from the vibrant q***r culture of early 20th-century Berlin to its destruction under the N**i regime, and the legacy of laws like Paragraph 175. By reclaiming these stories, participants engage not only in remembrance, but in a deeper understanding of resilience, identity, and collective responsibility.

This spring, with support from the Karma Foundation, the Women’s Opportunity Fund of Ukraine delivered 12 electric bicyc...
04/17/2026

This spring, with support from the Karma Foundation, the Women’s Opportunity Fund of Ukraine delivered 12 electric bicycles to medical staff at the Losynivka Primary Health Care Center in the Chernihiv region—helping expand access to care for residents in surrounding rural communities. Serving villages located up to 20 kilometers away, healthcare workers often travel long distances to reach patients, including those with limited mobility.

The new e-bikes will significantly improve efficiency and reduce physical strain, enabling medical staff to reach more patients each day—often doubling the number of home visits they can complete. Alongside the bicycles, staff also received protective raincoats and reusable water bottles to support their daily work in all conditions.

This initiative is part of a broader effort: in 2025 alone, WOF-UA provided 140 e-bikes to frontline and border-region medical facilities across Ukraine. By increasing mobility and reducing travel time, these investments are strengthening healthcare delivery and supporting the resilience of both providers and the communities they serve.

This Passover, Seders were held in seven Ukrainian cities—Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Poltava, and Chernivtsi—...
04/16/2026

This Passover, Seders were held in seven Ukrainian cities—Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Poltava, and Chernivtsi—organized by participants of Project Kesher Ukraine’s Jewish leadership course. Using the organization’s Haggadah For Our Freedom, these gatherings created meaningful opportunities to engage with Jewish tradition, reflect on freedom and identity, and strengthen community bonds. Two Women’s Seders highlighted the vital role of women in the story of the Exodus.

For many, this was their first experience of a Seder. Participants described a sense of discovery, connection, and belonging—finding not only new meaning in Jewish tradition, but also a welcoming space to ask questions, share openly, and feel part of something larger.

Through these celebrations, PKU continues to deepen Jewish engagement, empower women’s leadership, and build resilient, connected Jewish communities across Ukraine.

Today, as Israel marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, PKI participants are gathering in person once again. In the first days...
04/14/2026

Today, as Israel marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, PKI participants are gathering in person once again. In the first days following a tenuous ceasefire, they reunite to remember, reflect, and support one another.

For many in our community, the themes of the Shoah—memory, vulnerability, and survival—are deeply personal, shaped by family histories. At the same time, as LGBTQ+ immigrants from Russia, many of PKI’s participants also feel a painful connection between that past and the present-day persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals by the authorities at home.

These gatherings hold profound meaning beyond commemoration. They create vital space for participants to share their memories, trauma, identity, and fears, finding strength in community. In Haifa, members of our LGBTQ+ group took part in a “Zikaron BaSalon” gathering, where they heard from Nahum Leiderman, who shared his family’s Holocaust history (which he himself only learned after immigrating from then USSR to Israel in the 1970s). For many, this was their first experience in such an intimate format, leaving a deep and lasting impact.

Additional remembrance gatherings are taking place in Be’er Sheva, Bat Yam, and Ramat Gan. At this moment shaped by war, migration, and ongoing uncertainty, these connections help restore a sense of belonging, resilience, and human dignity, ensuring that memory is not only preserved, but carried forward together.

On March 22, women in Kryvyi Rih gathered for an emotional support meeting through the “Me for Myself” project, focusing...
04/10/2026

On March 22, women in Kryvyi Rih gathered for an emotional support meeting through the “Me for Myself” project, focusing on building resilience in the face of ongoing stress and uncertainty.

Led by psychologist Yuliia Dyba, the session explored how stress and anxiety affect the body and mind, and offered practical tools to help restore balance and a sense of control. The gathering concluded with a body-based practice led by trainer Olexandra Burtseva, using gentle movement and meditation to release tension and ground participants in the present moment.

Bringing women together around care, self-awareness, and connection, the meeting created space to restore inner resources and strengthen resilience—both individually and as a community.

On March 29, Project Kesher Ukraine hosted a forum for young mothers in Dnipro, titled “Sources of Women’s Strength.” Th...
04/09/2026

On March 29, Project Kesher Ukraine hosted a forum for young mothers in Dnipro, titled “Sources of Women’s Strength.” The event brought together mothers of young children, pregnant women, and others seeking connection, support, and emotional renewal.

Designed as a welcoming, judgment-free space, the forum offered both practical tools and meaningful moments of care—for mothers as well as their children. Participants joined workshops on self-care, recovery, and emotional resilience, alongside open conversations on topics like sexuality and well-being, and creative expression sessions including floral design and hands-on art.

The day also offered space for community building, with a supportive circle, small gifts, and a dedicated BabyZone with professional childcare—ensuring mothers could fully participate, connect, and recharge.

This Passover, the answer to Ma Nishtana was heartbreaking: this night, we spend in bomb shelters. Sirens sounded throug...
04/08/2026

This Passover, the answer to Ma Nishtana was heartbreaking: this night, we spend in bomb shelters. Sirens sounded throughout the Seder and continued through the holiday, as families marked the festival of freedom under fire.

Exhausted—physically and emotionally—from repeated runs to shelter, PKI’s community members still came together through Zoom sessions, support calls, and constant connection via WhatsApp and Telegram. The daily rhythm has become one of continuous check-ins—reaching out after each siren and waiting, often anxiously, for confirmation that everyone is safe. Too often, missile fragments are landing nearby, damaging homes, and exacerbating the emotional strain. In recent days, explosions have struck near the homes of our coordinators and participants, and in Haifa, a deadly attack hit the very neighborhood where members of our community live. Some participants have begun speaking about preparing ethical wills—naming who would contact loved ones if something happens to them.

And still, PKI continues. Even though they cannot gather in person, they come together each evening virtually—learning, sharing, and holding one another through fear and uncertainty. In the midst of profound hardship, this commitment to connection is where we can find our resilience.

This year, Project Kesher Israel marks Passover under rockets. Amid ongoing war and collective trauma, it’s community ca...
04/01/2026

This year, Project Kesher Israel marks Passover under rockets. Amid ongoing war and collective trauma, it’s community cannot gather for the shared Seders that usually provide belonging and emotional refuge. For many—especially Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking women and LGBTQ+ immigrants who are far or estranged from family—PKI’s community is their chosen family. The loss of in-person gatherings risks deep isolation at a moment meant to symbolize connection and freedom.

In response, PKI has mobilized a powerful, community-based effort. Guided by a recent safety survey highlighting the importance of emotional resilience, our coordinators have created localized virtual gatherings alongside educational sessions—ensuring no one is alone. Even as sirens interrupt meetings and new alerts unfold in real time, these extraordinary leaders continue to hold their communities together, supported in turn by Anna Talisman, Head of the LGBTQ+ Department, who provides vital care for the coordinators themselves. Together, PKI is sustaining connection, strength, and hope.

Marking Trans Day of Visibility, PKI also reaffirmed it’s commitment to dignity and belonging. Rabbi Olya Weinstein delivered a groundbreaking lecture on the inclusion of trans people in Jewish tradition, while community leaders facilitated sessions on resilience and celebrating Passover under stress. In a time shaped by fear and uncertainty, these efforts affirm a powerful truth: even now, we can choose connection, care, and the freedom to be fully ourselves.

This week, representatives from Project Kesher and our partner organization Footage Foundation attended “From Principles...
03/13/2026

This week, representatives from Project Kesher and our partner organization Footage Foundation attended “From Principles to Voices: Survivor-Centered CRSV Global Practices and Survivor Stories from Ukraine,” an event hosted by the Ukrainian Institute of America in conjunction with the 70th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women taking place this week in New York.

Featuring remarks from Ambassador Melanne Verveer, the program brought together policymakers, advocates, artists, and civil society leaders to explore survivor-centered approaches to preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence. The event highlighted global best practices developed during Ukraine’s 2025 chairmanship of the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, emphasizing the importance of survivor partnership in shaping policy, justice, and accountability efforts.

The evening also featured artistic and storytelling elements, including a screening excerpt from the documentary “Traces,” directed by Alisa Kovalenko, which shares the powerful stories of women who survived sexual violence during Russia’s war against Ukraine.

As part of the broader conversations taking place during CSW this week, the event underscored the critical role of Ukrainian civil society and women’s leadership in advancing survivor-centered responses and ensuring that survivors’ voices remain at the center of global advocacy and policy discussions. Project Kesher is proud to have been represented at this and other meaningful events to come this week.

In recent days, families in Jerusalem and across central Israel have been running to shelters multiple times a day and n...
03/12/2026

In recent days, families in Jerusalem and across central Israel have been running to shelters multiple times a day and night. Many of Project Kesher Israel’s Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking participants face overcrowded public shelters far from home, spending long hours with their children and pets in jam-packed rooms filled with strangers just to stay safe. Some coordinators are hosting friends or participants who have serious health needs and no safe space of their own.

Despite these challenges, Project Kesher Israel continues to provide vital support. Coordinators host 3–4 daily Zoom sessions offering emotional support, practical tools, and educational workshops on resilience, trauma, and understanding Israeli society. Recent highlights included a conversation with leading Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking feminists for International Women’s Day and a Kabbalat Shabbat service with over 70 participants, sharing songs, Torah study, and reflections on community and strength.

Even in these difficult circumstances, PKI’s community shows up for one another—offering comfort, connection, and hope. Your support ensures we can continue providing these essential lifelines

We wanted to share a brief update from our Project Kesher team and community in Israel.The situation remains extremely d...
03/05/2026

We wanted to share a brief update from our Project Kesher team and community in Israel.

The situation remains extremely difficult. Sirens and strikes continue across much of the country, and daily life has been profoundly disrupted.

Last night, several of our coordinators from the Central region were unable to return home because of repeated attacks and the lack of safe rooms in their buildings. Instead, they spent the night sheltering in train stations in Ramat Gan and Tel Aviv.

Public transportation has slowed dramatically due to rocket debris on roads and railway lines and the ongoing security situation. Most people avoid buses and trains unless absolutely necessary. When sirens sound, passengers must quickly run to nearby buildings or shelters — often overcrowded — with little time to reach safety.

We are witnessing a growing emotional toll. More and more of our participants are reporting panic attacks and severe anxiety. Urgent psychological support is now needed for hundreds of women in our community.

Yesterday, more than 500 people joined a Zoom session with journalist and analyst Ksenia Svetlova, which offered participants a chance to better understand the geopolitical situation and ask questions during a time of profound uncertainty.

We continue to hear heartbreaking stories from the women we serve. One participant in Bat Yam, a single mother who uses a wheelchair, lives on the fourth floor of her building. When sirens sound, her two teenage children are unable to carry her to a shelter, so they sit together on the stairwell outside their apartment door. Our coordinators remain in constant contact with them.

Even in these frightening circumstances, our community continues to support one another. Tomorrow, before Shabbat, Rabbi Olya Weinstein and Rabbi Debbie Shuah Haim will lead a Kabbalat Shabbat gathering on Zoom for our participants — a moment to sing, pray, and simply be together.

We will continue to keep you updated as the situation evolves.

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