Harriet Tubman, does not live like
she should.
When the Soviet Union col-
lapsed in 1991,-so did the safety
net Syla and those of her genera-
tion had,taken for granted.
Everything went up for grabs, and
retirees were not skilled or physi-
cally able to adapt to the free mar-
ket. Moreover, the ruble imploded
and, overnight, the money they
had saved became worthless. The
average retiree's pension in •
Ukraine is $27 per month.
"When one takes into account
the cost of medicines, especially
for those suffering from chronic
illness, survival becomes extreme-
ly difficult;' says Yitzak Averbuch,
Ukraine country director for the
American Jewish Joint
Distribution Committee (JDC).
"Often the Jewish elderly have no
family, relatives or friends, as their
loved ones were murdered by the
Nazis, and their friends have either
died or emigrated. How do they,
cope?"
Syla is widowed. Two of her
three children have died, and she
has no contact with the third. Her
damp and dilapidated, two-room
hovel in the one-time shtetl of
Korostichev has neither electricity
nor running water. Power comes
from a generator sitting amongst
half a dozen live chickens that
scamper back and forth in an open
shed. Due to leg ulcerations and
arthritis, she is almost completely
immobile; she also suffers from
asthma.

Each week a HesedMobile stops
in. Korostichev and Syla receives
homecare, Meals-on-Wheels, holi-
day food packages, medication
and medical consultations, emer-
gency home repairs, blankets and
heating fuel for the bitter winter
months.

Detroit's Connection

The Russian Academy of
Languages recently defined
"Hesed" as a new Russian word
meaning "the provision of services
with special compassion." Since
the early 1990s, Jewish communi-
ties in North America, through tar-
geted donations and allocations to
the United Jewish Communities
Annual Campaign, have partnered
with JDC and local Jewish commu-
nal organizations to establish more
than 174 Heseds in the former .
Soviet Union (FSU). These centers
provide onsite recreation, commu-
nal meals and coordination of wel-
fare services to more than 240,000
elderly Jews. More than 86 Heseds,
like Hesed Shlomo — the
Zhitomir center, which cares for
Syla — operate mobile units as
well.
Last year, the Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit earmarked
$130,000 for Kiev's Hesed pro-
gram.
"We are extremely proud of the
lifesaving work being conducted
through Heseds in the FSU, and
particularly in Kiev," said Bill
Berman, a leader in both
Federation and JDC."Detroiters
should be extremely gratified to
.
know that contributions to
Federation's Annual Campaign are
assisting so many elderly citizens
like Syla live their lives with a
degree of comfort and the dignity
they so richly deserve!'
The generosity is not lost on
those, like Syla, who benefit from
the Hesed services.
"I want to thank people like
you',' Syla says to a North
American visitor, who has accom-
panied a Hesed worker to her
home one cold and damp morn-
ing."You have not forgotten people
like me." II

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Part II: Exploring HRT, Osteoporosis and
Hypothyroidism: Understanding your
hormones and their effects on aging. ,

Tuesday, February 7, 2006

Part Ill: Exploring Sleep Disorders:
What's keeping you from getting
d good night's sleep.

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Part IV: In a Heart Beat: Discovering ways
to improve your cardiovascular well-being,

Seminars will be held at The Jewish Community Center (JCC) - Handleman Hall

7:00-8:30 p.m.

Cost is $10.00 per seminar

Please call (313)874-2182 for more information.

1023940

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Syla saved Jewish lives during

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