Dear Friend,
On the night eight-year-old Ilya arrived at Mishpacha Children’s Home in Odessa, everything he owned fit in a small plastic bag.
Before that, life had little stability. Some days there was food in the apartment. Many days there wasn’t. Most nights he fell asleep alone.
That first evening at Mishpacha, Ilya sat at a table with other children as dinner was served. A hot meal. A place set just for him. A house parent who looked him in the eye and said, “Welcome home.”
For the first time in his life, Ilya experienced something many children take for granted:
A family.
Today, 124 children live in Mishpacha’s homes, cared for by 31 dedicated caregivers who provide food, education, medical care, and the stability every child deserves.
This Passover, Ilya will sit at the Seder table with the other children.
When the Four Questions are asked, he will look around the room and understand something he never knew before:
He belongs.
But none of this happens without help.
With war continuing to ravage Ukraine, every meal, every bed, every moment of safety depends on the generosity of people like you.
Every gift you give helps provide:
- A place at the Seder table for a child who has nowhere else to go
- Warm meals and medical care for vulnerable seniors
- Stability, counseling, and education for children rebuilding their lives
At the Passover Seder we sing Chad Gadya, where one hardship follows another until redemption finally arrives.
For Jewish children in Ukraine today, that story feels painfully real.
The cat came.
The dog came.
The war came.
But then you came — and that changes everything.
Ilya’s verse changed the night you showed up.
This Passover, we’re asking you to show up again, with your most generous gift so Mishpacha can keep its doors open for the children and seniors who have nowhere else to turn.
With deepest gratitude,
Communities of Southern Ukraine