The Odessa branch of Hillel is assisting the elderly during the humanitarian crisis

The Odessa branch of "Hillel" CASE, an international Jewish student organization, is actively assisting Ukrainian Jews during the major humanitarian crisis. Students, volunteers, and staff of the organization work in close cooperation with the "Hesed Shaarei Zion" charitable foundation. The foundation's beneficiaries—elderly people, individuals with childhood disabilities, former prisoners of Nazi ghettos and concentration camps, and Righteous among the Nations—are currently in particularly urgent need of support.

The following are selected interim results of the volunteer efforts by "Hillel Odessa":

• Over 520 food packages have been assembled to be delivered by volunteers at times of critical need. Approximately 500 additional packages will be prepared in the immediate future.

• Assistance has been provided to more than 20 large families.

• An emergency call center has been established, where "Hillel" staff advise enquirers on evacuation, repatriation to Israel, and other vital matters.

• Similarly to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee ("Joint"), "Hillel" assists with the evacuation of Ukrainian Jews.

• Regular online events (including Shabbat services) are held to offer emotional support and mitigate feelings of anxiety and loneliness.

The leadership of Odessa "Hillel" emphasizes that the work to support the elderly will continue regardless of external conditions. Ahead of Passover, the Jewish student organization conducted specialized training for volunteers and plans to produce approximately 3,000 packages of matzah for distribution to the beneficiaries of "Hesed Shaarei Zion."

"Hillel" CASE is an international Jewish organization that unites student centers across Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) actively supports the organization's activities and assists in the implementation of various projects.