By Koen Carlier, October 25, 2022; translated by Anemone Rüger
Since the beginning of October, we have been experiencing a new phase of the war in Ukraine. Larger and smaller cities throughout the country are being shelled with rockets, some launched from kamikaze drones. The rockets are hitting a wide variety of targets – from infrastructure to residential areas.
We are seeing images of destroyed apartment blocks in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipro. Even in the Vinnytsia district, many infrastructure targets have been hit. This is already causing significant problems with electricity and water supplies; apartments remain unheated, and winter is just around the corner.
Escape and evacuation
Since the rocket attacks began, our team has been on constant alert. We have already been able to evacuate hundreds of Jews from the greater Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro area. Some of the Jewish refugees were taken directly to Moldova for onward travel to Israel. Others initially wanted to go only to western Ukraine.
We often hear heartbreaking stories from the refugees. Most are elderly people, mothers, and children who are traveling with us. Men of military age (18 to 60) are still not allowed to leave the country. Exceptions are rare, for example, if someone is exempt from service for health reasons.
Zaporozhian
Zaporizhzhia has been particularly badly damaged this month. Many rockets struck the city center and other neighborhoods. Numerous residents were killed. Others had to spend weeks like animals in basements, almost without supplies – cold and damp, without food or sanitation; anxious weeks filled with fear. When news of a possible evacuation spread, many seized the opportunity. They had to make the decision overnight to leave everything behind and board one of our evacuation buses. Once safe, they face the decision again of what to do next.
One of our passengers was Holocaust survivor Larissa. She had already fled from Donetsk to Zaporizhzhia in 2014. For eight years, she lived with her son, daughter, and disabled grandson in the city's Jewish school. Just when her life seemed to be returning to some semblance of order, Zaporizhzhia was heavily bombed. Now, at 86 years old, she had to flee again. We evacuated her. But now the family had to decide: Western Ukraine or Israel?
During the bus journey westward, with a stop at our aid center, we hear many stories of how people survived. Upon arrival, we always welcome them with a good meal. The passengers are incredibly grateful for this. A warm meal prepared with love can work wonders! The following day, the journey continues – either to the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, or to another reception center in the Carpathian Mountains of western Ukraine.
The risks
In recent weeks, we have evacuated hundreds of Jewish families with our large bus and minibuses. We know that anything can happen on the road. The vehicles could break down, we could have an accident, a rocket could strike nearby. This week, three ambulances were hit by rockets. Thankfully, we know that prayer sustains us in our work. The shalom, the peace of God, surrounds us.
Flee from the land of the North!
We are now receiving an increasing number of requests from various cities to evacuate members of the Jewish communities. I think we will be very busy in the coming weeks bringing even larger groups of Jewish refugees to safety. I don't know exactly what the future will bring. But I am familiar with the words from Zechariah 2, where God clearly says: "Flee from the land of the north... to Zion, be saved!"
We hope that the tens of thousands of Jews still living in Ukraine will take these words to heart and decide to return to Israel. Until then, we will continue our life-saving work. This is not always easy. But since the outbreak of the war, we have said: "We want to be by the side of the Jewish people now and here – in times of need. We want to pave the way so that the Jewish people can return." We intend to uphold this promise for as long as we possibly can – despite the manifold threats of war, despite the worries about the coming winter.
Will you join us in praying for the Jewish communities and our team in Ukraine? With €135 you can help a Ukrainian Jew make Aliyah and go to Israel. Learn more about our "SOS Ukraine" relief effort here.
