Ahead of the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, Jewish Federations of North America have released figures detailing the impact of the $85 million raised across the Federation system for humanitarian aid and relief for Ukrainians, which has focused on emergency operational costs, temporary housing and transportation for evacuations, security, humanitarian support, trauma and medical relief, and immigration and absorption in Israel.

Those dollars made the following impact:

 

“The historians of our generation will write about this period as the first time ever that a war broke out in Europe and being a Jew did not mean you were a victim, but that there was an infrastructure in place to rescue and care for you,” said Jewish Federations of North America CEO & President Eric Fingerhut. “This infrastructure took decades and hundreds of millions of dollars to build, and our Federation system should feel a tremendous sense of pride knowing that our investment is saving the lives of so many Jews and non-Jews on European soil. I am inspired by the many individuals across our system who have responded so generously to this crisis and who continue to make these vital relief efforts possible.”

Funds from Jewish Federations’ system-wide Ukraine relief have been allocated to their core partner agencies, The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), The Jewish Agency for Israel, and World ORT, as well as to over 85 NGO’s operating on the ground in Ukraine and neighboring countries.

In addition to providing humanitarian aid for refugees and leading a volunteer hub, Jewish Federations also advocated for expanded refugee rights and resettlement in the U.S. and launched a $1 million Ukrainian Resettlement Grant Initiative with matching funds from the Shapiro Foundation, to help resettle Ukrainians in 18 Jewish communities across the U.S. and Canada.

Jewish Federations were uniquely positioned to respond immediately and effectively to the crisis due to their long presence in the region supporting their partners in Ukraine and neighboring countries.  They continue to provide critical support for internal and external displaced Ukrainians, housing, security, and basic necessities as the war continues into its second year.