Before the war in Ukraine started, Park City resident Jodie Sobel and the United Jewish Federation of Utah began brainstorming ways to help those in need. In less than two weeks, and after just a few days of fundraising, Sobel arrived at the airport with 14 duffle bags and 700 pounds of supplies.
Sobel, who serves as the board president of the federation, was accompanied by Alex Shapiro, the federation’s executive director. Together, the pair were flying to Poland where they would then take a six-hour bus ride to the Ukraine border and deliver the donations.
“It’s easy to look at the issue and push it aside. If you’re not experiencing it, it’s easy not to think about it,” Sobel said. “The days spent collecting were a great opportunity for learning and for families to help others in need.”
The United Jewish Federation of Utah is one of the few statewide organizations that are part of the Jewish Federations of North America, which was founded in November 1999. Shapiro said the organization is like the “Jewish United Way” and hosts some of the largest fundraisers with the help of more than 150 communities across the country. The contributions collected are then distributed to other Jewish people around the world.
The organization doesn’t exclusively help members of the faith, though it is the focus, and previously raised $50,000 for Afghanistan refugees, according to Sobel. When news that Russia invaded Ukraine broke, Sobel said the local federation believed it was important to do something to take care of other Jews.
Before the war, around 200,000 Jewish people were living in Ukraine, according to Shapiro. Around 40,000 of those people were receiving care on an ongoing basis from Jewish agencies. Shapiro estimates 10,000 of those people are Holocaust survivors.
After speaking with partners, Sobel and Shapiro put out the call and asked for monetary donations, over-the-counter medication, Passover goods and other items that may bring comfort to refugees. They used Temple Har Shalom in Park City as well as other drop-off points in Salt Lake City.
The local federation raised almost $300,000 and amassed 700 pounds in donations, mostly in medication, and other goods with the help of the small Jewish community locally. The whole organization collected close to $50 million and anticipates another $100 million to $150 million will be needed, according to Sobel.
“We realized how caring Utah is. People said, ‘What can I do?'” she said. “People were sitting in Park City and asking how they could help others in Ukraine.”
Once the supplies were gathered, Sobel and Shapiro began organizing them in a garage. The items were put into duffle bags and later taken to the airport in two cars to ensure everything fit. Luckily, the pair was issued a waiver by the airline for the baggage, otherwise, Sobel estimated they could have spent $200 for each piece of luggage.
They departed on Monday, April 4 and Sobel said she felt anxious arriving in Warsaw. In Poland, the pair and representatives from other Jewish organizations loaded onto a bus with their bags. The dreary day seemed to match the mood, Sobel recalled, and the overcast conditions were persistent as they drove through the countryside.
“I felt nervous going … we didn’t know what it was going to be like,” Sobel said. “And we didn’t want to go over empty-handed.”
Hours later, they pulled into a parking lot in Medyka, a small village in southeastern Poland that shares a border with Ukraine. There was a solemn feeling in the air, though the number of refugees coming over had dropped off from the shoulder-to-shoulder conditions weeks earlier, Shapiro said. Sobel remembers volunteers in bright vests working diligently, while also respecting refugees’ space. She also saw several volunteers carrying stuffed animals on their lanyards to help provide comfort to children crossing the border.
There were pop-up tents lined up, side-by-side, with people from different counties and organizations providing resources to those passing through. The scene was like a somber street fair, the pair said, with offerings like food and water, clothing and medical supplies, or SIM cards. As refugees trickled in, Sobel said everyone had someone to help, but volunteers were careful to not be overwhelming.
“The biggest takeaway for me was seeing the tragic toll of being displaced and balancing that with the goodwill taking place,” Shapiro said. “People stopped and dropped their lives to help.”
Sobel agreed. She said she’s seen a humanitarian crisis on the news but never witnessed one herself – and the difference is jarring. Images of people whose lives have been turned upside down as they try to figure out what to do next juxtaposed with strangers willing to do anything they can, stuck with Sobel.
“It gave me hope in humanity,” she said.
Sobel met an American woman, who has a son attending Brigham Young University, who wasn’t affiliated with a particular organization but set up a booth giving away feminine hygiene products. There was another group of young men who drove across Europe to cook meals for those at the border, in addition to many other agencies lending a hand.
The medication collected by the United Jewish Federation of Utah was given to a refugee medical center and will be distributed to other facilities in need, according to Sobel.
The group also visited the city of Przemyśl, where an abandoned box store had been transformed into a refugee center. Here, and at other centers, supplies brought over, like toys, books, notes and letters, were dropped off to help refugees. Shapiro said they saw rooms full of cots and a school area created by a group from Israel. There was much concern on mothers’ faces as they watched their children play, Shapiro recalled.
Most families only stayed one to three nights as they found new countries to emigrate to or contacted family they could stay with. But it was clear, Sobel said, that almost everyone hoped to go back to Ukraine.
“They don’t deserve what’s happening to them,” Shapiro said. “Where would you go? Who would you call? They’re fearful, and that’s fear we’d all feel. They’re receiving care and comfort, but what they don’t have is certainty.”
After nearly a day and a quarter of work on the ground, Sobel and Shapiro left the border and returned to Utah on Thursday, April 7. Sobel said although the trip was quick, it was very intense with a lot to process. By visiting the border, the pair hoped to aid the community but also wanted to become witnesses to what was happening in Ukraine to educate people in the United States.
“Just where you happen to be born makes a difference in your world. If you happen to be born in Haiti, you have a different life. If you were born in Ukraine, look at what you would have to go through,” Sobel said. “It makes me very thankful, but it makes me also think that there is so much need out there.”
Both Sobel and Shapiro agree that the need for help in Ukraine isn’t going away and will likely be an ongoing crisis. It’s easy to live in a bubble and forget about what’s going on, but everyone that’s able to help should help – whether that’s
a monetary donation, volunteering time or fulfilling a need at the border, Sobel said.