Jewish community — includ-
ing vulnerable individuals in
Ukraine and other countries of
the former Soviet Union — for
many decades,
” a Federation
spokesman said.
“While this situation is
extremely urgent and dire, our
response is consistent with
the work we have always been
doing and will continue to do
on behalf of Jews everywhere.
We are fortunate to live in such
a generous community that can
make a meaningful difference
during times of crisis, but as we
say: ‘We can be there for Jews in
Ukraine today because we were
there for them yesterday.
’”
Federation is in close contact
with its partner agencies and
will continue to be actively
involved as long as the crisis
continues.
To share and/or help, visit
https://jewishdetroit.org/
ukraine.
SUPPORTING FAMILIES
Jewish Family Service of
Metropolitan Detroit issued a
statement Feb. 24 in response to
the situation.
“We are disheartened by the
current situation taking place
in Ukraine. Many of our staff
and clients are from Russia and
Ukraine and have family and
friends affected by this situa-
tion. Our thoughts and prayers
are with them and everyone
impacted by these tragic events.
If the U.S. Department of State
offers a refugee status to those
affected, JFS will step up to help
with these efforts and partner
with refugee resettlement agen-
cies in the community.
”
Along with refugee resettle-
continued on page 19
YEVGENIYA GAZMAN @YGAZM
Children demonstrated in
Downtown Detroit alongside
their parents to show support
for the people of Ukraine.
For the first time I saw a
picture of him as an inmate.
A haunting look of a man
who was tortured and forced
to shave his beard ... The
Soviets succeeded in breaking
Nachum, and he died alone
away from his wife and kids.
On the 22nd of Cheshvan we
commemorate his yahrzeit, but
we have no knowledge of the
whereabouts of his final rest-
ing place.
As much as the picture
of Nachum pained me
beyond description, my
visit to Ukraine infused me
with infinite hope and joy.
Inasmuch as my visit to Babi
Yar reminded me of the cruel-
ty of those who aspire to exter-
minate us, being there with
my two nieces was a strong
reminder that the Jewish
people are stronger and more
resilient than any of our haters.
No bad news can change our
optimism for a bright future
for our people.
Four of Nachim’s children
survived the war and went on
to build families in the USA,
Israel and Europe. My grand-
father became one of the first
emissaries of the Rebbe, open-
ing Jewish schools in Morocco
and Tunisia. In 2018, my sister
Cherry (named after Nachum’s
wife) and her family moved to
Ukraine to open a branch of
Chabad Young Professionals in
Kyiv, the city from which they
recently escaped.
We, at Chabad of Greater
Downtown Detroit, are work-
ing with my sister and her
husband to bring real-time
updates on what is happen-
ing to the Jewish people in
Ukraine to our local commu-
nities and identifying ways
that we can help them.
Chabad has established a Ukrainian
Relief Fund. Donate at www.chabad.
org/special/campaigns/ukraine/donate.
htm.
Rabbi Pinson’s great-grandfather Nachum Pinson, who died in a
Siberian gulag
The Markovitch family is
working from France to help
the Ukrainian people.
MARCH 10 • 2022 | 15