Standing At The Ukraine Border, Somerset Co. Jewish Leaders Welcome Refugees

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — As hundreds of frightened and cold women, elderly adults and children walked across the Ukrainian border into safety, two Bridgewater residents were there to welcome them with open arms.

"It was absolutely a privilege to go there and help in a concrete way. I've never hugged so many strangers in my whole life," said Robin Wishnie of Bridgewater and Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon & Warren Counties (JFedSHAW).

"Sometimes there is a language barrier there and we can't have a conversation but there is no language barrier to love and to comfort," said Ellen Teller, President of JFedSHAW. "So hugging was a good way to bridge that."

Wishnie and Teller flew over to Poland to deliver more than 400 pounds of over-the-counter medications to teams from the Jewish Agency for Israel and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC).

The medication — which includes Tylenol, Advil, Pepto Bismol, and Allegra — was donated by the local community over the course of just a few days. JFedSHAW has also raised more than $40,000 for Ukrainian refugees since the start of the crisis.

Wishnie and Teller flew to Poland on April 4 and stayed through April 7 where they visited the Medyka border, where a tent city providing assistance to refugees is manned by an international community of aid workers and volunteers.

"We were standing right there at the border as people walked across," said Wishnie. "They were holding the hands of small children and dragging suitcases. They had to walk 2 and a half miles to the border because they can’t drive up. It was heart-wrenching to see these people who were fleeing for their lives from a war."

Once across the border, Wishnie said they were able to offer refugees a place to nurse their children, food, clothing and more.

"Tents were set up handing out diapers, menstrual pads, stuffed animals for kids to hug," said Wishnie.

"Workers were carrying lollipops to give the children candy to make them smile any way they could," said Teller.

They also visited the Kraczowa Krakowiec refugee center and met with refugees in Medyka and Warsaw, including those en route to Israel.

At one of the hotels in Warsaw run by the Jewish Agency for Israel, Teller recalled being touched when she met Ladivia and his son Sergei, who was in his 40s and had cerebral palsy.

"Ladivia needed to get out of Ukraine because of his son's disability. He is mobile but it takes him quite a bit of time," said Teller.

During WWII, when Ladivia was a young boy his parents took in a Jewish family and hid them.

"That Jewish family survived the war by being hidden by his Ukrainian family and eventually immigrated to Israel," said Teller.

The families kept in touch and when the war started in Ukraine, Ladivia got in touch with them who are now helping to get them into Israel.

"It's all about the circle, all about the good that you do that comes back to you," said Teller. "I like to think the good we are doing with JFedSHAW will come back to us."

Now back at home, Wishnie and Teller are continuing to collect donations to help Ukraine. JFedSHAW is a nondenominational 501(c)3 nonprofit and 100 percent of donations go directly to Ukraine relief. To learn more or to make a donation visit jfedshaw.org.

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