Dear Friends,
We have now collected over $1000 to assist Olha, Sashko and Yasya. Arrangements are being made to transfer most of that money to Olha and it is expected that this will take place sometime next week. We are hoping to raise at least $4,500 to take care of their immediate expenses. Needless to say, we thank everyone for their continued support.
Olha has given us permission to share her recent email to Sharon Dashow, along with some family pictures. As you will see in her email, while she is not in the habit of taking money (hence her embarrassment), she is deeply appreciative.
Here is the email:
“Dear Sharon,
Thank you for your letter and your interesting story about your family. I'm smiling while reading it, because I feel your love across the oceans.
I've just realized that in all this fuss I haven't even googled the MHJC! So, I did it this morning and saw my surname on the main page. It's so embarrassing to me, and I am very grateful for your help (all of the members of MHJC!). It's unusual for me to take money, because before the war we were well, we had an apartment in Kyiv, and our jobs as well. Now everything is uncertain, but at least I will have this "airbag" (in Ukraine we sometimes say an airbag meaning some extra savings).
Michał told me you wanted to know more about me and my family.
So, you know I am a writer. I write books for children and teenagers in Ukraine. I cannot write now because of the war, and because now I'm a fool-time mother (where is the exhausted smile here?)))), but at least I can read now and write some essays about our living in Kraków. Oh, it costs a series of books for children, and once I will write it (or not, as they say in Kraków))).
My husband stays in Kyiv with his father. Yesterday we had a Father's Day in Ukraine, and I realized that I have no words to say to him as a father – I cannot imagine the deepness of the miss which feels every Dad in Ukraine. But we hope to see each other in August.
My daughter Yaroslava is a "girl-fire": I cannot rest with her even a minute. She is fun, and has a marvelous imagination in her 7. She cannot stand studying in a traditional way, but she adores stories. We read stories every day. She is brilliant in small-talks, but sometimes straight and ruthless with other people's borders. She is always singing or jumping, she is pure happiness (but it's also tiring). We have met here, in The Galicia Museum, a woman Jill, from USA. She said about Yasya, that her trip is: Kyiv – Krakow, Krakow – Hollywood. Hooey.
I will send you some new photos of me and Yasya. She likes potting very much.
Sincerely yours
Olha”
As always, should anyone want to contact Olha, you can do so by emailing her at kuprolya@gmail.com.
All the best,
Israeli, Jewish and Community Affairs Committee
