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

