18 | MAY 5 • 2022 

ON THE COVER

“I WAS NOT THERE JUST 
TO HELP. WE WERE ALSO 

THERE TO WITNESS.”

— JFS’ YULIA GAYDAYENKO

continued from page 17

I am grateful and hon-
ored to have met the Jewish 
Agency for Israel staff, many 
of whom are refugees from 
Kyiv themselves, working 
nonstop at all hours of 
the day and night on the 
border and then to settle 
newly arriving refugees 
from the border into the 
hotel, working with the 
Israeli Consulate, making 
arrangements for transport-
ing thousands of people in a 
month-and-a-half, including 
medical transport for people 
unable to sit on the airplane 
as well as transport for ani-
mals. And doing so much 
more, working with donors 
and volunteers to ensure all 
needed supplies, volunteer 
medical professionals, etc. 
I am grateful and honored 
to have met volunteers from 
Poland, Israel, Canada and 
the U.S., supporting the JAFI 
staff in anything that needed 
to be done. I am grateful and 
honored to have met amaz-
ing people, experiencing loss 
and unimaginable pain and, 
at the same time, gathering 
to learn Hebrew with their 
kids, preparing for their new 
life in Israel, doing a Zumba 
class with their kids, and 
teaching their dogs to walk 
with a muzzle and their cats 
to stay in the crate for their 
travel. 
I am grateful and hon-
ored to have met donors 
who showed up with money 
collected from friends and 

colleagues, ready to purchase 
any needed supplies. I am 
grateful and honored to have 
been trusted with donations 
from my own friends and col-
leagues, which allowed me to 
purchase whatever was need-
ed for the day: deodorants, 
T-shirts, shoes, flip-flops, 
hairbrushes, pants, dog and 
cat food (and more deodor-
ants, T-shirts and pants).
And I am very grateful and 
honored to have represent-
ed the Jewish Federations 
of North America and to 
have been supported by an 
amazing agency where I have 
worked for the past 13 years, 
Jewish Family Service of 
Metropolitan Detroit. Thank 
you, everyone, for your sup-
port! 
If there was one thing I 
could ask for as you read 
this, it would be to stop for a 
minute and send your light, 
your prayers and your good 
thoughts to help heal the 
torn land and the torn apart 
families. 
If we all join forces in 
doing that at least once every 
day, we can help create a 
communal healing that is so 
much needed. 

Yuliya Gaydayenko, LMSW, MA, is 

Chief Program Officer, Older Adult 

Services, at Jewish Family Service, 

and the 2015 Mandell L. & Madeleine 

H. Berman Award for Outstanding 

Professional Jewish Communal 

Service winner. She was resettled as 

a refugee from Moscow, Russia, in 

Flint with her family in 1995.

JEWISH NEWS

THE DETROIT

The Detroit Jewish News 
Educator of the Year

Teachers are often the unsung 
heroes who inspire our children to 
greater heights and whose lessons 
often last a lifetime. 
The Jewish News wants to honor 
the best-of-the-best teachers in 
our community — in elementary, 
middle and high school. 

To nominate a Jewish teacher or a teacher at 
one of Metro Detroit’s Jewish day schools, 
send an email to 
jheadapohl@thejewishnews.com 
with “Best Teachers” in the subject line. 
Include the teacher’s name, school, grade/
subject and why you think they deserve to be 
recognized. 
Then look for our “Educators of the Year” in 
the May 19, Cap & Gown issue.

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