J

onathan Ornstein, 
executive director 
of Krakow’s Jewish 
Community Center, has spent 
years working to rebuild 
Jewish life in a city that was 
an important Jewish center 
before the Holocaust.
Now he finds himself 
working tirelessly to assist the 
wave of Ukrainian refugees. 
As of mid-March, Poland has 
welcomed nearly 1.8 million 
refugees, about 140,000 in 
Krakow.
Neither the U.S.-born 
Ornstein nor his JCC mem-
bers expected a full-scale 
Russian invasion of Ukraine, 
but once it began, the com-
munity sprang into action. 
The 750-member JCC, which 
hosts a preschool and pro-
grams for Holocaust survi-
vors, was transformed over-
night.
In weekly email updates 
to supporters, Ornstein said, 
“Our JCC team of staff and 
volunteers is entirely focused 
on helping those affected by 
the war, Jews and non-Jews, in 
Poland and Ukraine. Thanks 
to the incredible generosity 

of friends and supporters 
worldwide, we have been able 
to quickly and effectively take 
action and help people.”
Krakow’s JCC is functioning 
seven days a week, 14 hours a 
day as a collection and distri-
bution point for food, med-
icine, hygienic supplies, toys 
and clothing. Between 300 and 
500 Ukrainians a day come 
in to take whatever supplies 
they need. As of March 10, 
more than 2,000 Ukrainians 
refugees received supplies 
there. To increase its capacity, 
the JCC has hired 11 full-time 
staff members, including four 
Ukrainians. 
“We have teamed with a 
local partner to design and 
equip a 2,500-square-foot 
safe space five minutes from 
the JCC, for mothers and 
children,” Ornstein said. “It 
will provide childcare as well 
as Polish and English classes 
for moms who will also have 
access to psychological assis-
tance and job counseling.
“We have formed a coalition 
with four local NGOs and 
together are running an infor-
mation point with Ukrainian 

speakers providing a full array 
of social services. A few dozen 
people live in the space at any 
time, and we are providing 
meals to them. We are also 
beginning to provide them 
with Ukrainian language legal 
and psychological counseling.”
The JCC has also partnered 
with a local NGO to trans-
port loads of supplies to the 
border and into Ukraine and 
then on the return trip bring 
people out. As of mid-March, 
more than 3,000 people have 
escaped Ukraine that way.
“
Among the many organi-
zations across Poland taking 
action, the JCC is unique in 

that it can access the financial 
resources of American Jewish 
communities and institutions,” 
Ornstein said. 
“We, as a Jewish institution, 
are very much guided by the 
idea of tikkun olam,
” Ornstein 
said, referring to a Jewish con-
cept meaning “repairing the 
world.”
“Poland has been amazing. 
The turnout in Poland to sup-
port Ukraine has been unbe-
lievable,” he said. 

Donate to the JCC Krakow’s efforts at 

www.friendsofjcckrakow.org/ukraine. 

 

Times of Israel reporter Lazar Berman 

contributed to this report..

JCC in Krakow Aids Refugees

TIMES OF ISRAEL/JN STAFF

18 | MARCH 31 • 2022 

OUR COMMUNITY

Jonathan 
Ornstein in 
his office. 

LAZAR BERMAN/TIMES OF ISRAEL

The entryway to Krakow’s 
JCC with a sign welcoming 
Ukrainian refugees. 

LAZAR BERMAN/TIMES OF ISRAEL