Jul 9, 2024

JFNA Visits Ukraine

In what was the first visit by a North American Jewish organization to Kyiv since the start of the war, leaders from the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reaffirm the Jewish community’s continued support of the people of the besieged country. “I hope the Ukrainians know that their incredible courage and resolve is being supported by the free nations of the world,” said JFNA President and CEO Eric D. Fingerhut. Zelensky expressed his appreciation for the Jewish community’s ongoing assistance and discussed the common plight of Ukraine and Israel. The mission also met with First Lady Olena Zelenska, who implored the group to continue to advocate for Ukraine. Since the war began in February 2022, JFNA and our overseas partners the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and The Jewish Agency for Israel have been providing humanitarian aid to more than half a million Ukrainians, including more than 160,000 Jews. The national emergency campaign for Ukraine has raised more than $100 million, and Fingerhut stressed that the Jewish community’s commitment to helping Israel at this critical time will not diminish its aid to the people of Ukraine. Over the past two years, Federation's Annual Campaign has allocated more than $400,000 to aid those affected by the war in Ukraine.