Dear Friends,

As you will see from the correspondence below, our contributions have certainly helped Olha (there was a misprint in her name at the end of her email) and her family during these trying times. Sadly, her economic situation has changed as Sashko is now fighting in the military and can no longer contribute economically, We are continuing to raise money to assist Sashko, Olha, and Yasya Kupriyan as they and their fellow citizens continue to suffer through the war in Ukraine. As always, Donations can be made either through our website or via check. If you are sending a check, please put “Kupriyan Family Fund” in the memo portion of your check. In addition, if you would like to contact Olha, you can do so by emailing her at kuprolya@gmail.com.

As always, thank you for your support.

All the best,

Israeli, Jewish and Community Affairs Committee

Dear Sharon,

Thank you for sharing the wonderful news about your family—your stories always warm my heart. I have never had a big, close-knit family, but I do have many friends with whom I share a strong and warm connection.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about Mr. Trump. Honestly, these days, weeks, and months have been incredibly difficult for us in Ukraine. It means so much to know that across the ocean, there are people who stand with us wholeheartedly, who support us and care about our lives.

I sincerely apologize for not writing sooner. It has now been three months since my husband, Sashko, joined the military—it was his time to fulfill his duty. And while he is in the rear and relatively safe, in Ukraine, there are no truly safe places anymore. The city where he is stationed is very close to the front line, so I worry about him and miss him terribly.

For months now, there has not been a single night when Russia has not tried to destroy Ukrainian cities, our energy infrastructure, my Kyiv, my family. Every morning, we read the news about Iranian drones launched by Russia, killing someone who is a friend of a friend. Every morning, I wake up with the realization that we have survived another night, that we have woken up. But someone else hasn’t. And I live in the city with the best missile and drone defense! We are lucky to have such strong and skilled defenders.

Since my husband joined the military, I have come to understand just how much he did for our family and how much I now have to do on my own. Thanks to your support—because I saved the money that your community collected for us—we were able to buy a used car. I learned how to drive it, and now I have a little more mobility. I still don’t drive far, just to take my daughter to school and pick her up. I am also learning to take care of the car. All these daily tasks keep me from dwelling too much on the terrifying news surrounding us and instead push me to take things one step at a time.

As a children's writer, I sometimes have the opportunity to meet with kids in schools, and they inspire me greatly. This week, I met with children aged 8 to 11, and despite the fact that my morning did not go as planned and we had another night of air raid sirens, I wanted to talk to them about happiness. I asked them when they feel happy. You should have seen them! Their eyes lit up, they were so joyful despite everything! I so badly want to preserve that sense of happiness in them.

I live not far from the river, and sometimes I allow myself to linger by the water, buy a coffee, and just watch the current. If only the river could tell everything it has witnessed! And yet, the water just keeps flowing. This month has been bitterly cold. In Ukrainian, we even call February "Lyutyi", which means fierce, harsh—an apt name for the last month of winter. Ice has frozen over the river, and the swans have taken shelter elsewhere. But despite everything, I can feel that spring is near. I check my weather app with joy, noticing that the sun rises a little earlier each morning and sets a little later. I truly hope that we will endure and prevail in this war. Thank you for standing with us.

Sending you a warm embrace,

Yours, Olga