GREENSBORO, N.C. — Organizations in Greensboro continue to pour out support for Ukraine as the Russian invasion enters its third week.
The Greensboro Jewish Federation is joining an effort to collect $20 million for Jewish Ukrainians.
Many Ukrainian cities are unrecognizable amid Russia's continued invasions. Leading many, including an Odesa Rabbi, to flee with her daughter.
"The picture that you got was that two weeks ago, 15 days ago, Odesa felt like Greensboro does now," Rabbi Andy Koren said.
Koren is the senior Rabbi at Temple Emanuel in Greensboro. He was one of the hundreds who listened to Rabbi Julia Gris' story on a Zoom call organized by the Queens Jewish Community Council.
"I saw someone that was exhausted. I saw somebody who is a leader in the community who just looks like she had been stretched beyond the point that most of us could handle," Koren said. "One of the stories that Rabbi Julia Gris told us was that at one point in the family‘s history, her family sought refuge in Ukraine from Poland. This is a couple of generations ago, they left Poland to come to Ukraine and she said in her life, it’s almost like things had gone somewhat full circle."
Marily Chandler, who directs the Greensboro Jewish Federation, also listened to that call.
"It took her hours and hours to get to the border and she did so only because she walked the last 25 kilometers," Chander said.
Koren said the congregation president of Gris' church, who is still in Odesa, also spoke.
"She took the sacred Torah scroll from the congregation, and it is in safekeeping with her and her family at this point," Koren said. "As Jewish communities, you know things are serious when we start to make provisions for what’s going to happen not only to our people but to our sacred objects."
Rabbi Koren is encouraging his congregation to donate to and support Jewish Ukrainians.
"There are important efforts taking place to help Jewish communities. There are over half a million Jewish people who call Ukraine or Russia home," Koren said.
The Greensboro Jewish Federation is among those resources. The organization joined the Jewish Federations of North America's campaign to collect $20 million to help with everything from security to temporary housing, plus food, shelter, and medicine.
"The situation is desperate, and I think we as Americans have to do all we can to help," Chandler said.
The Federation said you can find how to send monetary donations on their website. They said 100% of those dollars sent to this campaign will go to help Ukraine.