Action for Post Soviet Jewry

10/13/2026

Our coordinators are living through this war too.
The sirens that wake our elders wake them too.
When the power goes out in an elder’s apartment, chances are their own home is dark as well.
They experience the same disruptions to water, food, transportation and everyday life. They worry about their own families. They make their own plans around blackouts and air-raid warnings.
And then they pick up the phone and check on someone else.
I think that is part of what makes this network so important.
Our coordinators don’t arrive from somewhere else to assess what people need. They are part of these communities. They understand what a twelve-hour blackout means because they may have just lived through one themselves. They know what is available locally, what has become difficult to find, and which systems are working—and which aren’t.
Most importantly, they know the people.
That knowledge matters.

10/11/2026

We talk a lot about what Action provides.

Food. Medication. Emergency cash assistance. Telehealth. Humanitarian supplies.

But I’ve been thinking lately that one of the most important things we provide can’t be packed into a box.

Someone knows your name.

Our coordinators know the older adults in their communities.

They know who lives alone.

They know who has trouble walking.

They know who is frightened during the air-raid sirens.

They know whose health has changed, who suddenly needs medication, who hasn’t answered the phone, and whose family is no longer nearby.

10/07/2026

10/06/2026

Our coordinators are already helping us understand what older people in their communities will need. We know that prolonged power outages can mean apartments without heat or light. Water interruptions can quickly become dangerous for someone who is older or has limited mobility. Medications still need to be obtained. Phones need to stay charged. Food needs to be available when stores or transportation are disrupted.

We prepare supplies. We listen to our coordinators. We ask what worked last winter and what we should do differently this year. We try to see the gaps before someone falls through them.
And then there are the things we could never have planned for.
We didn’t know that an elder would suddenly need surgery and that other assistance would cover only part of the cost.
We didn’t know that another elder’s roof would be damaged—or that the municipal waiting list for repairs would be at least six months.

So we plan. We prepare. We respond.

10/02/2026

As Sukkot comes to a close, its message lingers. For our elders, most things are fragile. Their safety is not a guarantee. With your help, we bring stability and permanence into their lives.

Thank you for a strong High Holiday season. On to winter prep.

ChagSameach

09/27/2026

“Sukkot feels especially meaningful to me this year. We sit in a fragile shelter and are reminded how quickly the things that make us feel secure can change.
But Sukkot is also a celebration of gratitude.
So before I ask you again ( and I know-I have been asking more than usual), I want to say thank you.
Thank you for every gift.
Thank you for every email and note.
Thank you for reading these stories and caring about people you may never meet.”

— Debbie Kardon, Executive Director

09/25/2026

Sukkot begins tonight — a holiday built around a temporary, fragile structure, and the gratitude we feel even when our shelter isn’t guaranteed.

For many elderly Ukrainians APSJ serves, shelter is exactly that fragile: a roof with holes, a building with no heat. For most, these homes aren’t temporary. Many of our elders have spent most of their lives in the same house or apartment. They filled those places with memories, small treasures, and personality, turning them into beautiful testaments of their resilience and strength. This Sukkot, help us make someone’s cherished home safer and warmer.

Your gift will fund much-needed repairs for our elders’ homes.

ChagSameach

09/20/2026

Head over to the link in our bio to read stories, hear the shofar, and answer the call.

Your gift keeps the Jewish elders of Ukraine safe.

09/18/2026

Head over to the link in our bio to read stories, hear the shofar, and answer the call.

Your gift keeps the Jewish elders of Ukraine safe.