On Tuesday, January 24, 2023, I made my way back to the Ukrainian border. This time I was traveling alone, so I took a little more time for the drive. This proved necessary as crossing the Carpathians took more time.
In mid-December I received a call asking when I would be traveling to Ukraine to bring help. I answered, “Not so soon, but maybe in April 2023.” The caller replied, “Then it’s too late.” The sentence stuck in my mind, and I felt that it was God’s will that I should go as soon as possible. We started planning a trip for January and informed all our friends who are collecting aid for Ukraine. Our van was soon filled with all sorts of useful supplies, including wool socks, slippers, groceries and hygiene items.
On the way to the Ukrainian border, I stopped in Oradea to inquire whether the kibbutz exhibition in the great synagogue of Oradea had already started. I was informed that the exhibition would not open until the beginning of February because of the holidays. In addition, we tentatively agreed on a concert in the big synagogue of Oradea at the end of June.
The weather and driving conditions were good, but the crossing of the Carpathians was slow and there was snow on the highest peak. The timing of the return trip was really good because after Budapest the weather turned rainy and dark. When I reached Vienna, it had already started to snow. This winter was very hard in Austria, with sometimes very heavy snowfall. There were several severe avalanches in the Alps that cost many lives.
I met Tanya’s driver on Thursday and learned that the Russians had fired 50 rockets the previous day, most of them at Kiev. They hope peace talks will begin in May after Ukraine receives new, powerful weapons from Europe and America.
Tanya’s Help Center has started a new form of work. It is now also helping elderly people who have been left behind in their homes. As the war continues, they have nowhere else to go. They have access to medical and nursing care in the aid center, and psychological counseling is also offered. Above all, the distribution of food is one of the tasks of the aid center. Tanya’s team works with help.aid Ukraine. The work with refugee children also continues. Warm clothes are the most important thing at the moment.
A heartfelt thank you to all of you for your support.
Hannu Ylitalo