One problem we had as we switched over our financial office was the not so smooth transition of software. Scott has been working to get out our 2008 financial giving statements. We are so very sorry they will be coming late, but Scott assured me they will be coming shortly. Thank you all for your patience with us in this matter.

CHEVRA AND THE ECONOMY - As we have watched our own economy slide into a downward spiral, we have seen things get worse and worse for our works in Eastern Europe and Israel. The people we have been helping have had to have their support cut in half and then half again. I am almost embarrassed to face them as they talk of their extreme need and think of our inability to help more than the small amount we are able. We need to be sending help for our works in Moldova and Crimea, in Southern Ukraine, as well as Kiev and Zhitomir. Everyone is hurting, here and abroad. I hear the pain in the voices of some of our supporters as they tell me they can no longer help Chevra as they did before. Also I hear the disappointment in the voices of the people we help overseas as I have to inform them that we don't have enough money to help as we would like. When I go speaking on behalf of our work, people are always asking how they can help. I meet many talented willing people who want to assist us, but what we need right now is financial support. I know everyone is saying this, but I can only speak for our people's needs. I have canceled a teaching trip to Russia because we don't have the funds to make it happen, and feeding people comes first. If you are able to help us, we would be most grateful.

CHEVRA AND VOLUNTEERS - Wherever I travel, people are always asking me if they can volunteer to help us. I appreciate people's willingness to join in our efforts. In our work in Israel, we need people who are fluent in Russian and English who would just go visit holocaust survivors, and get vital statistics for us of their situation so we can bring what they need. There are so many people of whom we have names and addresses, but we don't have the manpower to visit them all. The one thing people tell me they miss most is people to visit with. They are lonely. They are literally sitting in their apartments waiting to die. They are so happy just to have someone to visit them and spend time with them and show they care. We don't need people to make up food parcels. They are made up as part of the cost of the parcels we buy. Other than Russian speakers, at this time we mainly need funds.

ISRAEL - HELPING HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS In Israel, we are known as "Helping Hands Coalition." At the time of this writing we are helping up to 10,000 Jewish elderly and Holocaust survivors. We were helping more, but because of the economy, we had to cut back on the aid we are able to send. I went to Israel this past December, visiting many survivors in their homes. They need food, and people to visit them. Holocaust survivors who immigrated from the Former Soviet Union typically are living on very small pensions which they receive from the government. They receive enough to pay their rent, and utilities but little else.

Because they have to find the cheapest housing, they usually live in undesirable areas. In America, undesirable means poor and crime ridden. In Israel, undesirable means more likely to be bombed. Many of the people we help live in Sederot and Hadeira, which were in the news during the last bombing war with Hamas in Gaza. Not only do they live in these areas, but because they are in the cheapest housing, they are living in un-elevated buildings on the third or fourth floors. Basically these are elderly people; many who are shut-ins, living in three or four story walk ups in areas that are bombed daily by Hamas. When we came to bring food parcels, they crowd around to get their parcels. One of our workers told me they put together special parcels for Chanukah this past year, giving small gifts with their parcels; gifts people sent from Europe. We thought they would be happy and excited to receive them, but the people complained. They said "We don't need these things. We need food." We got the message loud and clear. If you want to bless them, bring them more food.

We are still operating "warm houses," small group homes where people pool their money together and share an apartment, but they cost money because they need people to come in to cook for them and help run the home. I visited a warm house in Rishon LeZion, which had two women who came from Birobijan, which was the "Jewish homeland" in Russia set up by Stalin in the 1930's to avoid a Jewish State forming in Israel. Two other women were from Ukraine. We may need to close these houses due to lack of funding for the caregiver.

RUSSIA, UKRAINE and MOLDOVA Because of the economic situation, we are not doing much travel in the Former Soviet Union. We are still wiring funds into these countries, so that our feeding programs may continue. We are hoping for an upturn in the economy so we can do more to help our people in need.

DONATIONS & GIFTS: Effective immediately, all donations to Chevra need to be sent to

Chevra
P.O. Box 203
Newington, VA, 22122

All donations sent to our old P.O. Box will be forwarded, but please start sending to our new address. I can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Thank you for your continued support for our work in these difficult times,

Dr. Michael Schiffman Director, Chevra USA