WJR KeySupporter Summer 2025-v3.3 - Flipbook - Page 2
REBUILDING LIVES
agency, supporting vulnerable Jews in need is an essential
component of our mission. We are closely monitoring the
current emergency situation, and our thoughts and prayers
remain with Israel.
At the same time, Ukraine continues to be bombarded
by attacks. On a recent visit, I took the opportunity
to travel much further east and close to the frontlines.
Zaporizhzhia is one of the regions being pummelled by
Russian bombardment, and there has been no let up in
the scale of missile and drone attacks; I spent too much
time cowering in the bomb shelters at both the Jewish
Community Centre and then the synagogue.
His Majesty the King’s visit on
Holocaust Memorial Day to the
Jewish Community Centre in
Krakow – which World Jewish
Relief founded, built and
continues to support – was
truly special.
Welcome from
Paul Anticoni OBE, Chief Executive
Dear Friends,
At the time of writing, the situation in Israel is extremely
worrying. With regular missiles being 昀椀red into the country,
sirens ringing out through the night, and planes grounded,
we are thinking constantly of our friends and families, and
their safety.
Since October 7th, we have assisted thousands of Israelis
through our partnership with the Israel Trauma Coalition,
providing 1,790 hours of therapy and 645 hours of trauma
resilience training to psychologists. With Israelis su昀昀ering
yet more trauma following recent escalations in con昀氀ict,
the need to strengthen psychological resilience becomes
ever more critical. As the Jewish community’s humanitarian
02 | worldjewishrelief.org
Needless to say, I was horri昀椀ed at the trauma, fear and
uncertainty our participants are facing in this city under
昀椀re, but amazed at the scale, quality and impact of our
work there. Our programme supporting Ukrainians to 昀椀nd
work or enter self-employment is full – and has a huge
waiting list. Our older clients are 昀椀lling the community
centre with energy and endless activities. I played boccia
with some of our clients who have disabilities, to whom we
provide transport support and therapy classes.
And I spent a day with our home repairs team, impressed
with the rapidity, quality and complexity of their work as
they try to patch Jewish homes faster than they can be
destroyed.
If Ukrainians are to survive this brutal war, it will be their
resilience, their independence and their ability to help
themselves that will be the de昀椀ning factor. Ukraine, like
many disaster zones around the world, has been reeling
following dramatic cuts to US aid funding in January.
While World Jewish Relief receives no US government
funding, it was clear to see how many projects assisting
vulnerable Ukrainians had been closed overnight with a
signi昀椀cant knock-on e昀昀ect; many of whom are now asking
us for funding – something that we inevitably do not have
the resources to support.
