A veteran of Federation partner JDC’s youth leadership programs in Ukraine, Masha couldn’t wait to become a community leader in Donetsk. When conflict arrived, she was forced to flee to safety in Kharkov, becoming one of 2,800 internally displaced Ukrainian Jews.
But Masha refused to give up on her dreams. She now volunteers with JDC to deliver necessary supplies to displaced elderly, at-risk children and families, and other vulnerable Jews.
“Thank God, I’m not in as bad condition as others,” she says. “I can work and support myself. For me it’s important and is an honor to be an ambassador for all the Jews in need in Ukraine, to volunteer through JDC.”