This week, we share a word from current Workshoppers (WS 71), who are currently in Poland, as well as an update on how Habonim Dror is working to aid Ukraine.
Workshop 71: Today, we went to Majdanek. A place that saw the most horrendous atrocities. Atrocities which took place only 80 years ago. We walked into the gas chambers… and walked out. It felt like we cheated death when really, our ancestors were the ones who were cheated. We made our way across the grounds until we arrived at the gigantic pile of ashes where we took part in a tekes to commemorate those who were lost. After our saddening, somber experience at Majdanek, our souls were replenished when we went to the JDC in Lublin to learn about the Jewish history there and the rejuvenation of the Jewish community. We then had the privilege of making mishlochei manot (traditional Purim packages) for the young Jewish Ukrainian refugees in Lublin and got to talk to the head of volunteer work at the JDC. This experience was incredibly joyful, inspiring and rewarding for all of us. After a long drive to Warsaw, we had the pleasure of meeting Bogrim from Dror Israel who are working with thousands of refugee families to improve their situation and actualize the values of the movement and the Jewish people. We connected their experience back to our own experiences working with chanichim in our messimot in the peripheries of greater Haifa. We hope to take the education and empowerment we have gained on this journey and bring it back to our messimot and our lives as whole.
-Koby & Jonah
Updates from Tamar Levi:
Dror Israel and Hanoar Haoved
Our sister movement is currently organizing day-camps in absorption centers in Israel for the new refugees, as well as doing clothing drives and gathering necessary supplies. They are able to provide madrichim in Hebrew and Russian.
Dror Israel has also sent delegations of volunteers to Moldova, Romania and Warsaw to work with the refugees. You can find more information about their work here: https://www.drorisrael.org/campdrorukraine
Phia Blumenthal (Workshop 58, Tavor) and Yelena Adelman (Workshop 54, Tavor) are currently in Warsaw facilitating a childcare center and teen activities at the Expo Center that is housing thousands of refugees.
More ways to contribute:
If people wish to contribute to the work by the shomrimot in Ukraine/Poland to support refugees and setting up schools and daycare along the border with Poland:
https://campshomria.com/blogs/news/yachad-for-ukraine (this link is to Hashomer, a sister Zionist org, and not to Habonim Dror) If people are interested in joining the Whatsapp group on which shomrimot in Ukraine/Poland have been posting updates: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GPTdUB4SEELJ1tkBk6dsRN