When Jews from eastern Ukraine were displaced from their homes and forced to move away from loved ones and everything they knew, a free summer camp was organized. Pinchas Vishedski – with funding from the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews – wanted to make life a bit more normal for those children not enjoying their typical summer vacation.
The camp – called Tikva (meaning hope) – was free for the 100 refugees. Located in a forest by a river, it featured lectures (more than half of the participants are adults), sports activities, computer courses, and counseling for those who are clearly traumatized from what has happened to them.
The need for counseling at this point is great. As Vishedski explained: “We’re talking about people who used to live in beautiful apartments, their homes had nice furniture, and now live in rented apartments that aren’t always the right size, so therefore such people deserve to have time to just take a break during the summer like everyone else.”
This is not the first time IFCJ has organized the funding of such programs to help those in need. For example, one of its projects last year was the distribution of grants totaling millions of dollars for “Operation Winter Warmth,” a program to keep those elderly warm who cannot afford heating. To date, IFCJ has raised close to $1 billion for its philanthropic efforts.
Ultimately as well as establishing better ties between different religions, IFCJ is helping many people around the world live a better quality of life, too.