Almost Shabbat Shalom Post by Delaware Staff

Before Shabbat Starts, I wanted to let you know that the last day of service on our trip has been one of the most powerful.

We started the day meeting with 3 survivors from the Odessa Ghettos. From this meeting, we went to the park where we joined our Odessan friends to help clean around the monument to the Holocaust that is part of a park in downtown Odessa. Something notable is that this monument is not stand-alone. As we worked, many families with small children were playing in the park.
We also had the opportunity to celebrate Shabbat (a little early) with some of the elderly clients of the Joint's Hesed program. Their energy was incredible and they were so excited for these beautiful, young, energetic American students to spend time with them and better get to know life in Odessa. Our students are incredibly grateful, also, for the gifts that the members of Hesed made for us after meeting us earlier this week. We are here to give to this community, but I think that, in addition to the beautiful gifts we have received today from our new friends, everyone who is a part of this community from the University of Delaware (UD) and JDC Short-Term Service, has gained an incredible amount from this experience.

We wish you all a Shabbat of Peace, relaxation and love and look forward to speaking with and seeing you all in a couple days when we are back in the US.

UD Staff

Celebrating Shabbat at Hesed

On the Road Again

On the road again.

We have a two hour drive to Belgorod-Dnestrovsky to do volunteer work with some elderly residents this morning, so I figured this would be a good time to blog. I think I heard that the point of the trip today is to be able to see how citizens live outside of the city limits, and from what I gather, the conditions are not so hot. At times, it feels as though we are traveling back in time. I first felt it when we stepped onto the first plane, where I was expecting monitors in seat backs and in-flight movies, and well, more English (there was very limited translations for announcements, and the accents were so thick, I could hardly understand). The airport in Kyev and the second flight was going back another few years, with the very dated security checks and a plane with propellers, which was very cool. Even in the city, I feel the modernity difference. I think the most obvious difference is in the vehicles, with very dated cars and models I haven’t seen in a long time. Surprisingly, there are hardly any (I’m not even sure I’ve seen one) big 18-wheeler trucks. I’m sure that part of it is due to the size of the streets being so narrow (hardly enough for the amount of cars that drive on them), but in a place where pollution doesn’t seem to be a big issue, it’s something I would expect.

To recap yesterday, we worked in separate groups and visited some of the elderly residents that Chesed (a branch of the JDC, the organization we are working with) helps, and it was definitely eye opening. Chesed provides home health care, pension plans, transportation, etc, for many of the elderly Jewish residents that live in Ukraine, and it does really great work. The house that my group went to was that of a 72-year-old woman who was suffering from diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, etc. who had lost her father and brother in the Holocaust (which locals refer to simply as “the war”) after her family had been transported to Uzbekistan when she was young. They returned after the war had ended, and she worked a blue collar job for many years. She shared stories of her first experiences with people with skin color different than hers, catching scorpions in jars, and when she first understood what had happened in the war. It made the experience very personal, as we were able talk one-on-one with someone who had lived through such turmoil. She was so grateful that we were there, and was so excited that we painted her windows. Such a simple task with such a large reward.

After we left the elderly homes we all visited, we had the great honor to participate (with Migdal, another Jewish group we are working with) in Odessa’s city wide parade for April Fool’s Day, one of their largest holidays. The city’s population doubles from one million to two, and welcomes guests from several countries to celebrate with them. It’s the place to be for April Fool’s Day. I would compare it to spending Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Odessa residents love the holiday and are known for having a great sense of humor. As a general rule of thumb, I’d say that’s correct, however when we first started walking in front of the crowd (and boy, it was quite a crowd – people lined the streets for miles taking pictures and watching the floats), a group of boys decided that it would be funny to salute to our group (we were dressed as a traditional Jewish wedding) in WWII fashion. Needless to say, it set a pretty negative tone for the start of the parade, not knowing exactly what we would encounter. Odessa is known for having very Jewish roots, so I was shocked that we encountered such a blatant and public display of anti-Semitism. Not quite what I was hoping for, but I guess it’s true that it really is everywhere.

I think what really killed a lot of us was the quality of the air while we were walking. Everyone here smokes, and the city air just reeks of it. The only relief we got was at dinner when we were finally out of the smoky stench, but it was very hard to walk as far as we did in that air. I am constantly reminded of how much I like living in smoke-free Delaware.

Well, that’s enough for now.

Signing off,
Rebecca Marcus

Greetings from Across the Pond

Greetings from across the pond,

When I sat down to work on this “blog,” at first, I had some difficulty finding the right words to describe the experiences we’ve had in Odessa thus far. From planting a garden, to marching in the April Fools Day Parade to painting walls outside a JCC to visiting some members of the elderly community in their homes, to bowling with our Ukrainian friends, to text studies to staying up until all hours of the night with our peers, this trip has certainly been an experience unlike any other! Every day has been different from the one that precedes it. Every activity has been fun and educational. Moreover, every individual on the trip truly brings something different to the table that not only has impacted the Jewish community of Odessa thus far, but has impacted one another.
As tired as we all are, as jet-legged we all are, as much paint we have in our hair and on our clothes, everyone has stilled maintained such a positive attitude and moreover, are always willing to lend a helping hand to one another. To me, this trip has been more than just a community service project. It has been more than just an "Alternate Spring Break" devoted to helping others, but it has been a week full of growing as people, becoming better friends with each other, better leaders and moreover, better members of the Jewish community. I feel as though the lessons learned and the leadership skills developed won’t “sink in” until we return home, however, we can safely say that they will have a positive impact on us and the world around us.
It is hard to believe that this trip is more than halfway over. It is hard to believe that in less than 72 hours we will be back home. Although this trip will last for only a week, I am confident that the lessons we learned from it will live on forever. We still have a few days left to grow even stronger as a community, to learn even more about the Jewish community in Odessa, to contribute more and more to this community and moreover to make more memories that will be sure to live on and will not be forgotten. This trip has truly been a journey unlike any other and I cannot wait to see what the next few days will bring.
Until next time,
Das Vedania!
Melissa Finger

Photos!

Our first volunteer project was at the Beit Grand Campus. We weeded, cleaned and painted two murals over the bare walls of the Courtyard, in preparation for upcoming use by various participants of Beit Grand programs, including a new Jewish kindergarden which will be launched next week!
Group photo outside of the Biet Grand Campus.

Volunteering & Crafting Seder plates with the children at Mazel Tov/Beitenu

Renovation projects at the Migdal JCC, which will celebrate 100 years in 2010. Check out the cool stained glass windows!

Repairing the floor of the multipurpose room at the Migdal JCC.

Getting Ready for the April 1st Parade with costumes borrowed from Migdal JCC's Jewish theater group.

More Photos Coming Soon!

Zalatoiy!

Zalatoiy!

Today, we met the cutest little old lady we’ve ever seen. She lived in a small, old house in the small town of Belogrod-Dnestroyovsky. Although we were a little hesitant at first, once we saw her big smile and open arms, we immediately felt comfortable. We all sat together in her living room, which consisted of a couch and a small table. She shared with us the story of her life- how she taught French for 35 years, was a translator for several years, and (our personal favorite) her “golden” husband. Her husband died ten years ago and she constantly talked about him, sharing with us how amazing and special he was to her and to the lives of others. He was a righteous gentile, which means that although he was not Jewish, he swore on the Bible during a testimony under Soviet Rule that another woman from his town was NOT Jewish (although she was) and saved her life. So he not only had an amazing impact on her life, but on the lives of others as well. This woman had such a big heart and we immediately wanted to do everything that we could to help her.

She has a fairly large yard that she needed us to weed so that she could plant her garden. The three of us, along with the help of her social worker and our fantastic bus driver, raked and shoveled up the weeds from the yard. After a few hours of work, our time was up and she asked us to come inside so that she could give us a gift. First, however, she brought us to the bathroom so that we could wash our hands. What we saw was pretty shocking. This woman only receives water through her pipes early in the morning and then later in the evening. Since this was the middle of the morning, there was no running water. There was water set aside in a bucket that we used. We put some of that water into a new bowl and washed our hands. None of us had ever been in a position where we did not have running water to wash our hands. We then went into the living room where she gave us wall hangings for us to bring back to America. They were beautiful and we appreciated it greatly. She then kissed us goodbye and even followed us out to the bus! We sadly had to leave but we all absolutely fell in love with her and we all can agree that it was our greatest experience in Ukraine so far.

Hillary Jacobs, Lisa Easton, & Rebecca Marcus

Marta

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

By Mindy Sternberg and Amanda Fox

Most people who have a disease tend to see life as a struggle, but not Marta. Marta views life as a gift. She was born in Odessa with cerebral palsy, a debilitating illness that inhibits the movement of her body. In addition to her physical handicap, her childhood was anything but easy. Under Stalin’s regime, her father was arrested which forced her and her mother to escape to Siberia. Growing up she was also teased by her peers for her disability. Despite these hardships, education was extremely important to her. She went to the university to study medicine but was unable to complete her studies due to her disease. At that time, she was living alone in Odessa when she was given an opportunity by deceiving businessmen. She was offered a house in a town outside of the city in exchange for her apartment, but was robbed of her apartment leaving her homeless. Luckily, the Hesed organization of Odessa came to her aid and provided her with a place to stay.

Now Marta lives in a small village outside of Belgorod-Dnestrovsky in a tiny one room apartment. Upon arrival, she came outside to greet us and was nothing but smiles. She then showed us the beautiful pieces that she knitted. In addition to making these handicrafts, she enjoys writing poetry. Instead of choosing to write about sorrowful topics, she focuses on the positivity and humor in life.

To say that our experience with Marta was emotionally charged, would be an understatement. It is astonishing to us that someone who has been faced with such vast difficulties can overcome each and every obstacle. We both admire her hopeful outlook on life and aspire to embody her wonderful attitude. Marta taught us that community service does not just pertain to building houses, but rather, building relationships with others within the community. It is these interactions with people that help us to connect with each other, and thus, gain a greater sense of unity.

Home Visits Photos

Home visits with homebound elderly in Odessa

The Back of the Bus Blogs

Today, Sarah got bit by a dog with rabies. It was a little scary, but she was rushed to a local run-down “hospital” where she received a small band-aid. She was a great sport and we think the drooling will probably stop soon. Either way, the dog was cute and we enjoyed feeding him treats.

APRIL FOOLS! Odessa is known as the “City of Humor” and takes great pride in this title. April Fools Day is one of the biggest holidays that the city celebrates. The festivities included a large parade in which we were able to participate! We walked for about two hours around the city as thousands of people watched. We got dressed up, with the Ukrainians that attend the Migdal JCC, as the attendants of a Jewish wedding with a Chupah and all. The four of us were jesters and we looked pretty ridiculous… but mostly awesome.

But this area isn’t all fun and games. Odessa is a vulnerable city due to its poor economic state and post-Soviet status. It has been extremely rewarding to help the Jewish community here. Although we have done a number of service projects, the four of us agree that the home visits were our favorites. The group split up into three and took vans to specific elderly and needy members of the Jewish community. We learned their life stories and helped them with various tasks around their homes. The best part was that as we worked we could already see how big of a difference we were making in the lives of these people. Doing something as simple as hanging curtains or cleaning a window meant the world. These people were unable to perform these tasks due to old age, poor health and dwindling funds. We look forward serving the community further in the next few days.


By Bari, Jess, Amy, Sarah

April Fools

April Fools!

Today, we visited three elderly women within Odessa. The JDC sponsors a home care program designed for elderly who are living alone who don’t have a lot of family and need help taking care of chores around the house from volunteers. We visited a woman named Flora who lives by herself in a two room apartment in Odessa. She was 61 years old and faced many medical problems including lung cancer and a recent cataract surgery. Some of us helped her paint the window panes, clean the windows in her house and plant a garden. Even though we didn’t spend a lot of time with her we felt fulfilled and thought we made a difference. Next, we visited a Jewish Daycare center. Children four years and younger come to the center to participate in different activities the center offers while receiving an informal Jewish education at the same time. We got to dance, play music, and draw with four or five children who we thought were completely adorable.

Sadly, we had to leave for lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon participating in the April Fools Parade!! We went back to the Migdal JCC to try on costumes centered around the theme of a Jewish Wedding. After receiving our costumes, we made a quick walk to the Museum of the History of Odessa Jews. Our tour guide was very charismatic and talked to us about Jewish life in Odessa from the 1600s to today. Afterwards, we were ready to make our debut in the April Fool’s Parade!! It was an honor to be able to be involved in a parade that involved so much preparation and so many people. We spent about an hour walking through the streets of Odessa in front of huge crowds, and we even made it on Ukranian television news in a short interview!! After a long but eventful afternoon, we headed back to the JCC and ate at a nearby Kosher restaurant where we reflected on our day. We are preparing to take a 2 hour drive tomorrow morning to visit elderly Jews residing outside of Odessa, and we are anxious to see what this experience will bring us and how it will compare to our previous volunteer experience!!

Rebecca Morris, Lauren McAloon & Lisa Easton

Odessa Blog Post, By Rebecca

Rebecca Marcus

Long days, short nights. I find that common on service trips like these. I suppose it’s the whole “away from home... far, far away from home.” I feel that more so here, especially because of the lack of technology and the ability to make a simple phone call. Funny, isn’t it? America is so highly connected – my iPhone allows me to connect to anyone in a matter of seconds, which is great for my business and social life but not so great for relaxation. It would be nice to pick up the phone and call home though. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m awfully close with my parents (which I really do like), and it’s torture not being able to call Mom and Dad and just tell them that I’m safe and that I love them (Mom, Dad, and Chris, if you are reading this: I’m safe! I love you!)

Today was good. Not what I expected, but enjoyable all the same. After an interesting night in a gorgeous hotel suite, I realized this was not going to be like the hostel we stayed at in New Orleans. This place is incredible – crown moldings that look like artwork (which I could stare at for hours), ceilings that stretch for miles, carpet that rolls down the marble stairs. It’s quite a refreshing change. What I can’t help but wonder, however, is that with this economic pit we’re in, is if this place is the cost equivalent to staying at a Holiday Inn. Pretty scary if that’s the case.

Ukraine itself is pretty… well, I suppose “different” would be a cliché. Needless to say, I’m pretty spoiled living in smoke-free everything in Delaware. Everyone smokes here. And I mean everyone. We walked – nay, sprinted – from terminal to terminal in Kyev (which have outdoor entrances to some) and with my first breath of glorious Ukrainian air, I choked on the heavy smell of cheap cigarettes. Not quite what I was hoping for, but what can you do.

The attire is quite…different as well, especially to an outsider looking in. I asked Dina, one of our “Ukrainian friends” that just so happens to be from Boston, about it, and she said, “Welcome to Russia.” I can’t help but think that this is a step up from the misery of the Cold War. It’s quite obvious to anyone that looks around that the Cold War was just over a decade ago. I wish someone could just tell me what life was like before the USSR fell. I haven’t met anyone yet that has any actual firsthand experience with it, and I’m hoping tomorrow when we meet with home-bound elderly that someone will be able to tell me.

Something else I’m looking forward to asking about it about my own family’s past. Before I left, my dad and I discussed where our family was from and what (little) we know about where we came from. After some preliminary research online, with only my great-aunt’s travel log in tow, I found out that, well, I have no idea where we came from. The city that she lived in is not exactly in existence, according to the know-all website, Google. Upon leaving, I tucked her log in my bag, and decided to ask someone here. I was pleased that my first opportunity was today at Beit Grand, the beautiful campus of all things Jewish in Odessa (where we were able to meet these adorable elderly folk, one of which sang to us in Yiddish and one who accompanied her on an ancient, but beautiful, violin). While we were painting a mural at their courtyard (which we also cleaned up completely), I asked the Director of Beit Grand about the cities mentioned in the log, and she actually recognized them. Needless to say, I was pretty excited to hear it. She said that the cities are in present-day Moldova. Weird. I never thought I’d hear myself say that my nationality is Moldovan, but alas! I’m still waiting to talk with the elderly tomorrow about the cities, so I’m crossing my fingers!

Well, friends just arrived to hang out for the rest of the evening, so I should probably listen to my mother’s advice and not be rude. More later!

Signing off,
Rebecca Marcus

UD in Odessa

UD (Delaware's mascot) helps garden in Odessa

Odessa Pre-Trip Post, By Jodi

There is nothing more exciting to me than getting a stamp in my passport! In twelve days I get to do just that! UD Hillel is going on Alternative Spring Break to Odessa, Ukraine. Woo hoo!! I love to travel. I love to see new places and meet new people. And that is exactly what we will be doing.

Everyone wants to know what you are doing for spring break. When I tell them I am going to Ukraine I always get the same answer….Why? When I tell them that I am going to Odessa to work in a community and meet fellow Jews they become jealous and really excited for me. It’s not everyday that a group of American students gets to go to Eastern Europe to work and interact with a Jewish community.

No one on our trip has ever been to Ukraine before. Obviously when you are about to travel someplace new you think about what you are expecting to see, smell, taste, etc. It will be very interesting to see how our pre-trip expectations differ from what we actually see and experience.

When I think of Eastern Europe the images in my mind are always gray. I think of rundown and deserted streets in poor villages. Maybe I have seen too many Holocaust movies. I also picture a country and a people trying to rebuild and revive itself after the fall of communism. I am looking forward to meeting the members of the Hillel in Odessa and learning about their Ukrainian brand of Judaism. I think different cultures and religions are very interesting and I look forward to learning about Ukrainian history, culture, and Judaism. –Jodi Suckle

Pre-Trip Post, By Lisa

I am excited to travel to a new and exciting place where I do not know the language or customs, but I hope to feel at home meeting other Jewish kids our age and hang out with them. I am excited to help continue the building projects for the Jewish community in Eastern Europe. –Lisa Easton

Pre-Trip Post, By Mindy

I am most excited about meeting the people of Odessa, learning about their Jewish community, and seeing such a different part of the world. It wasn't until I started to share the news about this trip with my family that I discovered that one of my great-grandparents came from Kamyanets- Podilsky, Ukraine. So although we are traveling to Odessa, I am still eager to learn all about Ukrainian Jewish Culture through this unique and rewarding trip. –Mindy Sternberg

Pre-Trip Post, By Sarah

Although I've read up on Odessa and have read and reread the itinerary countless times, I am still not sure what to expect. Regardless, I am positive this trip will be an incredible experience-- the chance to volunteer, see a different country that's off the beaten path, and connect to Judaism. –Sarah Esralew

Pre-Trip Post, By Amanda

I’m really excited about meeting all sorts of new people, whether they may be children, people our age who work for Hillel, the elderly, or even just other students from UD. I think it is great that we have all been given the opportunity to embark on this journey in a foreign country to help the community. A lot of closed minded people misinterpret the concept of community, thinking that it only pertains to their local community. I think this trip will prove that the idea of community is without boundary, and this refers to the world as a whole. –Amanda Fox

Pre-Trip Post, By Bari

Honestly, I have no idea what I'm expecting for and I can't even pick one thing I'm most excited about. I am really looking forward to community service and volunteer work because I love all of the interesting things you can learn about other people and cultures, especially when in another country, and also to discover all of the things I know I will learn about myself. –Bari Grossman