Over the past month, Jewish communities across the country have responded admirably to the needs of our Jewish brothers and sisters facing the upheaval of the war in Ukraine, and for that we deeply thank you on behalf of all those who you have helped at this crucial moment in time.

What has become apparent as the war continues, however, is that unfortunately this crisis will not be just a moment in time – we now foresee that the needs of those who are fleeing Ukraine will likely stretch on for years and require a much longer-term investment upon the part of the world and the Jewish community in particular.

BSBI and Dor Tikvah have created a joint campaign in joining the Shuls for Ukrainian Jewry campaign - working in conjunction with communities around North America, the Orthodox Union (OU), Rabbinical Council of America (RCA), and National Council of Young Israel - to raise funds in support of these long-term needs. Rabbi Mimran and Rabbi Hoberman have set an initial goal for our synagogues to raise funds to support two large families for a month, a total of $2000.  Every cent raised by this campaign will be distributed directly to partners on the ground working to take care of Jewish refugees wherever they are now, and to help them get settled wherever they are going.

As we prepare for Passover, we must be acutely aware that just as we were all once refugees caught between Egypt and a homeland that we had not yet reached, so too there are many Jews today who find themselves adrift. Yet this time, they have us, the wider Jewish community, to provide the help they need as they rebuild their lives.