22 | MARCH 24 • 2022 

OUR COMMUNITY

S

HARE Detroit has launched a 
donation portal dedicated to help-
ing people of Ukraine, SHARE 
Ukraine, a one-stop-shop where those 
who wish to support Ukrainian citizens 
can find trusted ways to help. 
 Sam Rozenberg, the co-founder of the 
Metro Detroit nonprofit platform, was 
born in Ukraine. He says he’s made it his 
mission to use his platform to help pro-
vide humanitarian assistance and a space 
for those who want to help or donate. 
“It’s difficult to find a good charity to 
donate to, especially if you’re commit-
ted to make a difference, but you don’t 
necessarily know how. Because of my 
background and my passion for justice 
and what’s happening in Ukraine today, 
I do the homework and vet out charities, 
appropriate NGOs (non-governmental 
organization), to channel the money 
into,” Rozenberg said. “One hundred 
percent of all the contributions made will 
go to an organization that directs your 
money to help Ukraine bring light out of 
the darkness.” 

SHARE Ukraine hosts 
a direct connection to the 
Ukrainian American Crisis 
Response Committee of 
Michigan, where individu-
als and groups can donate 
supplies and volunteer 
to join the committee’s 
efforts. In addition to the 
site, he says he has become 
a community activist, 
which he never was before.

SOURCE OF 
HIS PASSION
To better understand 
where Rozenberg’s passion 
comes from, he explained how he grew to 
be part of both the Ukrainian and Jewish 
communities. “I’m a child of both Jewish 
parents, and my father passed away when 
I was 4 years old. My mother remarried 
a Ukrainian citizen, but he happened to 
be from the former Soviet Union where 
everyone was atheist, practically speak-
ing. So, there was no religious difference, 

but he was the kind 
of guy whose father 
was an extreme 
nationalist and 
antisemite.” 
Rozenberg says his 
family was surround-
ed by Jewish people. 
As a young boy, he 
spent time in villages 
and farms where 
most of his friends 
weren’t Jewish but 
were Russian and 
Ukrainian. When he 
was 13, his family 
made their way to 
the states through Jewish immigration 
during the peak of the Cold War. He then 
got involved with the Ukrainian commu-
nity rather than the Jewish community 
like most immigrants do. Rozenberg went 
to a Ukrainian Catholic High School and 
attended church in Michigan, where he 
had his first religious experience. 
“I went from being an atheist to being 
a Catholic, even though I was 100% 
Jewish,” Rozenberg said. 
Growing up, he reverted back to his 
Jewish roots. “I became very active in 
the Jewish life, Jewish culture and Jewish 
identity. I became a volunteer a board 
member then went on to be the president 
of Yad Ezra.” 
Because of these experiences, 
Rozenberg says he feels equally comfort-
able in both the Ukrainian and Jewish 
communities. “I’m very passionate about 
standing on the right side of history, 
especially since this history is affecting 
both cultures that are my culture.”

MOVING FORWARD 
Rozenberg says he is trying to achieve 
three things, which were inspired by 
his high school principal, who he con-
sidered one of his earliest mentors. “He 

SHARE Detroit launches a way to support people of Ukraine.
SHARE Ukraine

RACHEL SWEET ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Sam Rozenberg

