To Care and Connect: Powering Online Programs for Elderly Jews in Ukraine

In the chaos and uncertainty of the Ukraine crisis, many elderly Jews in Dnipro might credit Victoria O. for lifting their spirits. As manager of online activities at the city’s JDC-supported Hesed Menahem social welfare center, Victoria creates virtual programs that inspire and stimulate lonely and isolated Jewish seniors. In this reflection, Victoria opens up about an innovative program that’s bringing Jewish life, learning, and traditions to those who need it most. 

“We come together not to just survive, but to live in the moment!”

That’s how I open each meeting of Let’s Get Connected — a project that aims to ease the loneliness of homebound elderly Jews through stimulating online activities. Let’s Get Connected offers more than 50 different programs, so there’s something for everyone: Hebrew classes, trauma support, book clubs, music groups, poetry readings, and more. 

To live and not just survive: More than two years into the Ukraine crisis, our elderly Jews need to hear this message — they need to feel alive. That’s why Let’s Get Connected was created. 

As the organizer, I always feel a bit nervous before the start of each week’s session. Will they like the program? Will it feel worth their time? 

That’s why I have a routine. First, I always check if all the cities have joined and ask them to say hello to the larger group. Second, I announce that day’s activity and introduce the facilitator. Third, I make announcements, invite questions, and encourage people to share news from their lives.

Then, finally, we get the program started. 

These programs have been wildly popular. Today, we have more than 100 people attending our Zoom meetings at any given session — sometimes as many as 180 — and we have expanded our activities beyond Dnipro. Despite power outages, air-raid sirens, and general uncertainty, participants keep coming. And if you asked them why, their answer would likely be straightforward. 

For many lonely, homebound seniors, Let’s Get Connected is their one link to Jewish life — their only constant in the chaos of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. 

They tell me how fortunate they feel to be able to log on and see their friends during our weekly gatherings. These are people who came of age in the Soviet era, when being Jewish was incredibly challenging. But through the JDC-supported Hesed Menahem social welfare center, they feel valued and cherished. This is their (virtual) Jewish home. 

It’s mine, too — my way of serving and strengthening the community that made me the Jewish professional I am today.

My roots run deep here in Dnipro. I was raised in a large Jewish family, and on Shabbat, more than 30 people would gather round our table to light candles (I was the youngest). My fondest memories are of Jewish holidays at my grandparents’ house and the comforting smells and tastes of a warm Jewish home. Sadly, my parents are no longer with me, and my extended family has moved away — but I pass these memories down to my children. 

Indeed, these traditions are ingrained in everything I do. I always carry them in my heart — they are my identity and my roots. The programs I create, like Let’s Get Connected, are partly a tribute to my ancestors and loved ones, a way of honoring the Jewish past in the present. 

This work feels natural to me. I was there for my elderly parents when they needed my support and cared for them for over 10 years, until they passed away. What they invested in me is what I invest in others today: a sense of care, attention, and openness. 

Let’s Get Connected is just one way I’m able to do this. 

I already see the results. Many of our seniors express gratitude for this project, telling me it’s helped them overcome depression and regain an interest in life. They describe the positive atmosphere and sense of community as life-affirming. We’re giving them the confidence that they aren’t alone. Their feedback, in turn, is the wind beneath our wings — a chance to listen to them and adjust our program accordingly. 

In these sessions, I learn as much as the participants. While preparing each week’s gathering, I gather a lot of information on  Jewish holidays, history, and traditions. But my most intimate knowledge of Jewish life comes from my childhood — memories of my family celebrating Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah — and I share this with my participants, too. 

All of this magic happens through Hesed Menahem — a special place where every Jew can realize his or her full potential. I’ve been proud to call Hesed Menahem my home for more than 25 years, when I began working there. The staff and volunteers at Hesed Menahem support you in the toughest moments and guide you on the path you want to follow, wherever that may lead. 

And our programs are always evolving. 

Let’s Get Connected is just one exciting program made possible by JDC’s JOINTECH initiative — a program that distributes specially-designed smartphones so that our seniors can join vibrant Jewish life, participate in the community, and access life-saving services no matter the circumstances. So far, we have distributed about 400 smartphones and counting — and that’s in Dnipro alone. 

Since its launch in 2021, JOINTECH’s Let Get Connected program has supplied 7,000 people with adapted smartphones, with priority given to isolated seniors who lack digital devices. Participants used their new devices to connect to an enriching world of virtual lectures, health classes, and social events developed by JDC’s Hesed Welfare centers.

Many people think it’s hard working with the elderly — but for me, it’s the opposite. I see so much beauty and wisdom in these beloved members of our community, and I’m blessed to have the opportunity to interact with them.

That said, it’s been a challenging time for everyone. Dealing with constant anxiety and fear is tough, and we’ve all changed a lot. I’ve become stronger and shed my fear of trivial things — I encourage my participants to stay strong, too. In our sessions, we teach them an important exercise — to smile three times a day. This helps us maintain a sense of calm and well-being. 

I see so much beauty and wisdom in these beloved members of our community, and I’m blessed to have the opportunity to interact with them.

People in their eighties and nineties, seniors who were born into war and now endure blackouts and sleepless nights due to air-raid sirens, feel a kind of triumph when they connect to our virtual sessions — the sense that, despite everything, we’re still here and we’re still Jewish. 

My strength comes from this: I believe that everything I’ve been given comes from God.

When people tell me what a wonderful program I have created or praise my work in any other way, I never attribute these merits to myself. I am just a conduit. It all comes from above and flows through me, and I consider myself fortunate to be able to let it flow down and happen. 

And what happens can be a kind of miracle. 

One participant shared that, due to a very serious illness, she’d been unable to join the program for a long time. When she finally did, she attended a class that involved reading poems by Jewish poets and singing Jewish songs. One song in particular seemed to lift her up.

“This is our song!” she said. “The song of life!” 

We’re singing this song each day at Hesed Menahem  — and we’ll let it echo across Dnipro, across Ukraine, to every corner of the Jewish world. To you. 

Victoria O. is manager of online activities at the JDC-supported Hesed Menahem social welfare center in Dnipro, Ukraine.

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