ORT UK urges donors to give to World Jewish Relief’s Ukraine Appeal

Unprecedented partnership will ‘ensure that the emergency needs of our Ukrainian community are being served’

By Jeremy Last
  • Jeremy Last is assistant web editor at the Jewish News. He lives in Israel, and is currently in his second stint at the JN, having worked for the paper back in the early 2000s!
 7 March 2022, 3:52 pm
Children at the ORT Educational Complex in Kyiv. (Courtesy)

In an unprecedented move, ORT UK has urged its donors to support World Jewish Relief’s Ukraine Crisis Appeal rather than give directly to ORT.

With Jewish communities across Ukraine continuing to suffer from the bombardment by Russian forces, ORT took the decision that teaming up with WJR would be the most effective way of helping its Ukrainian community.

ORT has a strong presence in Ukraine where it has been operating for the last 25 years. It provides education to 8,000 students, staff and families in Ukraine via their schools and training centres.

Currently, all of ORT’s schools and training centres in Ukraine are closed.

Dan Rickman, CEO, ORT UK said: “Given the extreme situation, our current priority is to ensure that the emergency needs of our Ukrainian community are being served. It is for this reason, that we have made the decision to partner with World Jewish Relief, in support of their Ukraine Crisis Appeal.”

World Jewish Relief are proactively working with their 29 partners in Ukraine and are responding to emergency humanitarian needs within and beyond Jewish communities.

Rickman added: “We know how unusual it is for a charity to ask their donors to consider donating to another charity, but these are unusual times.

“None of us know how long this situation will continue, but as soon as we are able to, ORT will focus on rebuilding our Jewish schools in Ukraine. In the meantime, we’ll also continue to fundraise for ORT’s educational projects around the globe and in the UK.

“ORT UK fully believe that by uniting with the agency best placed to deliver and provide aid, we can ensure that our ORT beneficiaries will receive the help they urgently require.”

World Jewish Relief CEO Paul Anticoni thanked ORT for its support.

“The coming together of so many of our communal agencies to champion our appeal is immense and in this unique moment, ORT UK’s assistance is truly wonderful. I cannot thank their Trustees, staff and supporters enough to be with us at such a traumatic time.’

 

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