Lisa Niver's Blog: We Said Go Travel, page 49

#StandWithUkraine Help the Ukrainians through Airbnb & Flexport in GoFundMe with Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher

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FROM MILA KUNIS ON GO FUND ME:

Today, I am a proud Ukrainian. While my family came to the United States in 1991, I was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine in 1983. Ukrainians are proud and brave people who deserve our help in their time of need. This unjust attack on Ukraine and humanity at large is devastating and the Ukrainian people need our support. Our family is starting this fund to help provide immediate support and we will be matching up to $3 million dollars. 

While we are witnessing the bravery of Ukrainians, we are also bearing witness to the unimaginable burden of those who have chosen safety. Countless amounts of people have left everything they know and love behind to seek refuge. With nothing but what they could carry, these Ukrainian refugees are in need of housing and supplies right away. 

Through GoFundMe.org, this fundraiser will provide an immediate impact on refugee and humanitarian aid efforts. The fund will benefit Flexport.org and Airbnb.org, two organizations who are actively on the ground providing immediate help to those who need it most. Flexport.org is organizing shipments of relief supplies to refugee sites in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova. Airbnb.org is providing free, short-term housing to refugees fleeing Ukraine.  We need your support to help Ukrainians. As a community, we are aiming to raise $30 million dollars. Every donation, no matter the size, will make a difference in the lives of those affected. Please join us today by donating and sharing this fundraiser with your friends, family, and communities. We stand with Ukraine.

DONATE TO GOFUNDME PROJECT with Mila & Ashton

SAT MARCH 5, 2022: $15,386,100 raised of $30,000,000 goal

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AS SEEN ON:

The Guardian: Ukraine Airbnbs receive bookings in effort to get money to residents

People are paying but not staying, as rental platform offers free housing to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees

The home rental platform has already moved to offer free housing to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, but members of the public have come up with a novel way to financially help those who either intend to remain or are trapped in the country owing to the conflict.

GMA: Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher launch fundraiser to help Ukrainians amid Russian invasion

Kutcher said they are raising money “to support a relief effort that will have immediate impact and supply much-needed refugee and humanitarian aid” to the people of Ukraine.

CNN: People around the world are booking Airbnbs in Ukraine. They don’t plan to check in

Airbnb hosts in Ukraine are being flooded with bookings from people all over the world who have no plans to visit. It’s part of a creative social media campaign to funnel money to besieged Ukrainians who need financial assistance as Russian forces bombard their country and cut off services.

TODAY.com: How Americans are using Airbnb as a way to get money to Ukrainians

“It was the simplest way to feel connected to a person like boots on the ground.” “I have worked in refugee emergencies for almost 40 years,” Filippo Grandi, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said in a statement Thursday. “Rarely have I seen an exodus as rapid as this one.”

CNN BUSINESS: Airbnb Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, tells CNN’s Matt Egan his company is committed to helping with the refugee crisis.

SNOPES: People are Booking Airbnbs in Ukraine To Get Money to Residents. Airbnb confirmed it is waiving all guest and host fees for bookings in Ukraine to assist in the effort.

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said they had provided free housing to around 54,000 refugees globally in the last decade, and most recently to Afghan refugees.

Members of the public are paying for Airbnb rentals in Ukraine to help get money to residents who are facing extreme financial hardship because of the Russian invasion.

FROM AIRBNB: Support for refugees fleeing Ukraine: Help house 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine

Hi there, thank you for contacting us. We can confirm we are waiving all guest and host fees on all bookings in Ukraine at this time. Thank you. https://t.co/WCQEFGIlXC

— Airbnb Help (@AirbnbHelp) March 3, 2022

1. Airbnb and https://t.co/enqjlQB0rH are working with our Hosts to house up to 100,000 refugees fleeing from Ukraine, for free

— Brian Chesky 🇺🇦 (@bchesky) February 28, 2022

MORE WAYS TO HELP:

Keep Ukraine’s Media Going

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: INFO AND WAYS TO HELP

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Ways to Help the Ukraine from Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback and Stephen Wise Temple

[image error] YOU Can Help Rescue the Refugees at the Ukrainian Border

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MORE ways to help from RAZOM

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The post #StandWithUkraine Help the Ukrainians through Airbnb & Flexport in GoFundMe with Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

I have to say “no” to 99% of the pitches I get but I *do...

I have to say “no” to 99% of the pitches I get but I *do* say “yes” and I never know what’s going to be the piece that gets me to say it until I see it — so if you have something that might work, def send to me

It might be your 4th or 12th piece that’s absolutely perfect for us https://t.co/BXQNzk1SnC

— Noah Michelson (@noahmichelson) February 21, 2022

The post appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

HuffPost Personal: ‘My Octopus Teacher’ Was Mesmerizing But … 🚫✋🐙

THANK YOU HUFFPOST PERSONAL and amazing editor, Noah Michelson, for publishing my story! [image error] ‘My Octopus Teacher’ Was Mesmerizing But There’s 1 Thing That Deeply Troubled Me

As a dive master, I just couldn’t stop thinking about the potentially dangerous message viewers might take away from the Oscar-winning film.By Lisa Ellen Niver 02/26/2022 09:04am EST

A common octopus (octopus vulgaris) — the kind featured in “My Octopus Teacher” — moving on the seabed in Marseille, France.

Recently, Jacinta Shackleton, a marine biologist stationed at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, recorded a blanket octopus (the first one was spotted 21 years ago) while snorkeling. I was excited to see photos of the incredibly elusive creature, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what would have happened if someone who watched “My Octopus Teacher,” last year’s well-deserved Oscar-winning documentary, had discovered it. Would they have approached and tried to touch it?

When I watched “My Octopus Teacher,” about South African filmmaker and conservationist Craig Foster’s yearlong underwater interactions with an octopus, I was mesmerized by the fantastic footage. As a certified dive master and science teacher, however, I am concerned by the message viewers might take away from the film: that anyone can strap on weights, descend deep, and start touching creatures underwater.

I have logged hundreds of underwater hours and I know how rare it is to see an octopus or any other nocturnal sea creature during the day with good enough light to film, let alone see one leave its crevasse and move about freely. Such an experience is certainly worthy of capturing on camera. But as a teacher and human being concerned about our planet, I felt worried.

I fell in love with scuba diving when I was in my 20s and I want as many people as possible to experience the thrill of breathing underwater and witnessing creatures that seem like they could only exist in science fiction. However, I also want people to make good choices.

Foster claims that he was alone while filming, but it appears to me that he had help. If he was alone, that worries me, as scuba diving is exponentially riskier when done solo.

While wearing weights and diving without training or a partner is dangerous, touching the creatures you encounter is even worse. Dive masters are constantly telling people: “Take only photos, leave only bubbles.” My concern is that most people walk away from watching this masterful film with a renewed desire for closeness with nature, but without a sense of what is appropriate for connection with wild animals.

The author diving at Miami, Florida’s Anglers Reef in 2019.

In 1963, the Bronx Zoo had an exhibit called “the Most Dangerous Animal in the World,” and it featured just a mirror. The implication was that human beings can be (and often are) dangerous to the world around them, to each other, and to themselves. We can certainly see this play out underwater.

During one of my many dives in Cozumel, a diver was antagonizing a barracuda. We never dove with him again. His behavior was unsafe for him, for the fish and for all of us around him. If you touch a rockfish, stonefish or lionfish, you may come in contact with their venomous quills or spines, and you can be poisoned. If you accidentally scrape your leg or arm on coral, you may get coral stuck in the wound, and some types of coral are toxic. What’s more, coral is fragile, and touching or standing on it can kill it (unfortunately coral reefs are currently facing many human-caused threats). I have seen people stick their camera and fingers into a coral head or small cave to get a better photo of an eel. If an eel bites you, it cannot release its second set of jaws, called the pharyngeal jaws. Someone will have to kill the eel to remove it from you.

On the street or the beach, if someone’s dog runs up to you, you ask the owner if their pet is friendly. You ask for permission to approach or touch. When I was walking in the Canadian wilderness with tour operator Churchill Wild to see wolves and polar bears, there was a 9-year-old in our group. At one point, he crouched down ― something we had been given specific instructions not to do ― and the wolf closest to us immediately turned toward him. All of the adults quickly moved in front of the child and he stood up. Thankfully, nothing happened to him. It was a frightening and powerful reminder that when we are out of our normal habitat, we humans may not understand ― and therefore abide by ― all the rules, even if we think we know them.

Sometimes humans and wildlife merge and evolve together in unexpected ways. Years ago, many people who fish in Grand Cayman began to clean their catch in one spot and the stingrays around the island came for the free lunch. Now, the area is known as Stingray City, a tourist destination where people can see and swim with many stingrays in one place.

A similar thing happened in Oslob, Cebu, in the Philippines, where the whale sharks were following the fishing boats. People on the boats threw krill in the direction of the sharks and someone saw it on YouTube. Then the tourists came. When I was there, a marine biologist gave us instructions to stay 9 feet from the school bus-sized creatures. However, no one gave this memo to the whale sharks. When humans and wildlife come together ― no matter how beautiful or exciting it may seem ― we still need to remember that these creatures are wild and that we need to respect that, so we don’t hurt them or their habitat (and so we don’t get hurt, either).

The author diving with sharks in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico in 2016.

Our natural world needs our help. While I believe “My Octopus Teacher” has brought the wonder of the oceans and their creatures to millions of people, I am still troubled by the promotion of the idea that it’s safe to enter the private world of another creature (especially by yourself) and touch it without consent. I’m not claiming that Foster is or ever would suggest that anyone do what he did, but impressionable viewers may not be able to separate his actions from their own, and that could be trouble for everyone involved.

Foster makes clear that his connection with the octopus heals him, and after months of staying at home due to COVID, most of us are searching to renew our relationships with ourselves, each other, and the natural world. But we need to do this with care and caution. We need to put the well-being of these creatures before our own desires. And we need to remember that what happens in a movie ― even a documentary ― isn’t permission to do it ourselves.

I hope that everyone who loved this film will find a way to care for our planet’s ocean environments by supporting the establishment of more marine protected areas, reducing plastic, picking up trash, and being kind to the incredible marine animals and environments we might encounter. Sometimes the best way to be kind to them is to leave them alone ― to be satisfied with the gift of a glimpse of their beauty and nothing more.

As Shackleton recently reminded us, there are many creatures still being discovered and nearly 80% of our underwater world is yet unmapped. I hope this recent sighting of the blanket octopus and “My Octopus Teacher” inspires many others to explore. There are terrific adventures to be found all over our planet, but we need to participate in ways that keep both us and the creatures we encounter safe from harm.

Lisa Ellen Niver is an award-winning travel expert who has explored 101 countries and six continents. Her writing has appeared in Wired, Teen Vogue, Smithsonian Magazine, Ms. Magazine, the Jewish Journal, and many other online and print publications. She is writing a memoir about reinvention after 50. Find her talking travel on Instagram and Twitter at @lisaniver, and on her YouTube channel, which has over 1.5 million views. Read more of her work at lisaniver.com/one-page/.

Do you have a compelling personal story you’d like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we’re looking for here and send us a pitch!

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Also seen on: Yahoo News: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/octopus-teacher-mesmerizing-theres-1-140424548.html

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I have to say “no” to 99% of the pitches I get but I *do* say “yes” and I never know what’s going to be the piece that gets me to say it until I see it — so if you have something that might work, def send to me

It might be your 4th or 12th piece that’s absolutely perfect for us https://t.co/BXQNzk1SnC

— Noah Michelson (@noahmichelson) February 21, 2022

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Yahoo News: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/octopus-teacher-mesmerizing-theres-1-140424548.html

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The Baharat Express News: https://www.thebharatexpressnews.com/my-octopus-teacher-was-fascinating-but-there-is-1-thing-that-troubled-me-deeply/

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In French: https://generationsnouvelles.net/mon-professeur-de-poulpe-etait-fascinant-mais-il-y-a-1-chose-qui-ma-profondement-trouble/

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In Romanian: https://royalarcadecardiff.com/profesorul-meu-de-caracatita-a-fost-fascinant-dar-exista-un-lucru-care-m-a-deranjat-profund/

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From Latest Breaking News: https://www.latestbreakingnewsvideo.com/news/latest-news/watch-my-octopus-teacher-was-mesmerizing-but-theres-1-thing-that-deeply-troubled-me-huffpost-breaking-news.html

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In Spanish: https://espanol.news/my-octopus-teacher-fue-fascinante-pero-hay-una-cosa-que-me-preocupo-profundamente/

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In Autos Yahoo: https://autos.yahoo.com/octopus-teacher-mesmerizing-theres-1-140424548.html and in now: https://www.yahoo.com/now/octopus-teacher-mesmerizing-theres-1-140424548.html

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On Flipboard: https://flipboard.com/@huffingtonpost/news-politics-g39bhflcz/my-octopus-teacher-was-mesmerizing-but-there-s-1-thing-that-deeply-troubled-me/a-V5anWUAXR7ia5Iet8QRvCQ%3Aa%3A52948404-94dbcbdedb%2Fhuffpost.com

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In Pop News: https://popnews247.com/my-octopus-teacher-was-fascinating-but-there-is-one-thing-that-deeply-concerned-me/

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Houston Times: https://houston-times.com/my-octopus-teacher-was-mesmerizing-but-theres-1-thing-that-deeply-troubled-me/

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Don't know how to feel. Today @ObamaFoundation endorsed ...

Don't know how to feel. Today @ObamaFoundation endorsed the @KyivIndependent campaignhttps://t.co/TwUrtirRMb

But I also caught this call between my wife's mom and my niece

– Are you being a good girl, hiding when sirens go off?

– It's ok, it wasn't even a real raid today

— Jakub Parusinski (@j_parus) March 3, 2022

The post appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

YOU Can Help Keep Ukraine’s Media Going

FUNDRAISER: Keep Ukraine’s media going

Help Ukrainian media keep going! Ukraine is facing an unprecedented, full-scale war. Media across the country continue to operate under the most challenging circumstances. They have shown extraordinary courage, but the reality on the ground is that most operations cannot continue from Ukraine alone. This fundraiser is aimed at helping media relocate, set-up back offices and continue their operations from neighboring countries. 

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Ways to support media activities in Ukraine (e.g., purchases of security equipment, paying drivers, medical care) are outlined below. This campaign is run by a consortium of The Fix, Are We Europe, Jnomics and Media Development Foundation, as well as multiple media partners from across Europe. We are working with a growing list of Ukrainian media, including Ukrainska Pravda, Zaborona, Detector Media and others. Support is allocated based on urgency of needs in the first place, then distributed proportionally.

 Different support options:– If you want to provide support to fund media operations in Ukraine, please reach out to Stichting Are We Europe Foundation.– If you want to provide funds to individual media directly, contact us and we will provide a list with their details.

FUNDRAISER: Keep the Kyiv Independent going

Ukraine is fighting a battle for the world. It deserves to have its story told – the challenges and victories, the villains and heroes. We want to tell that story. 

Ukraine is facing an unprecedented attack. The Kyiv Independent continues to work, bringing the world trusted, important information about the facts on the ground.

We need your support in this difficult and unpredictable task. From cyberattacks, bombings, ground invasions – it is hard to predict what the days ahead will bring and what we will need to respond.

All this is a huge trial for a media launched just 3 months ago. But together we can overcome. This campaign is run by Jakub Parusinski, the chief financial officer of the Kyiv Independent, who is based in London.

Subscribe to our newsletter, Ukraine Daily, here: https://mailchi.mp/9d739c3b1dd3/ukraine-daily.

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Don't know how to feel. Today @ObamaFoundation endorsed the @KyivIndependent campaign🙏https://t.co/TwUrtirRMb

But I also caught this call between my wife's mom and my niece

– Are you being a good girl, hiding when sirens go off?

– It's ok, it wasn't even a real raid today
💔

— Jakub Parusinski (@j_parus) March 3, 2022

From OBAMA FOUNDATION: How You Can Help the People of Ukraine

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: INFO AND WAYS TO HELP

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Ways to Help the Ukraine from Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback and Stephen Wise Temple

[image error] YOU Can Help Rescue the Refugees at the Ukrainian Border

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: INFO AND WAYS TO HELP

[image error] RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: INFO AND WAYS TO HELPInformation on the conflict

In the culmination of the ongoing 8-years-long war between Russia and Ukraine, Russia has declared that it recognizes the “people’s republics” in Donbas as “independent”. This move is meant as the setup to jeopardize years of diplomatic negotiations around the conflict and disrupt peace in the region.

Prior to the recognition, pro-Kremlin channels have spread false justifications for the ongoing war. In a speech announcing the recognition, Putin blamed Ukrainians themselves for the escalation, calling it “a colony with puppets at its helm.”

Russia has declared a full-scale invasion early in the morning of February 24th.

Additional reading

How to think about war in UkraineMore general resourcesCan I help directly?

Yes. There are multiple ways to help, from asking your government to provide assistance for Ukraine to donating and even directly participating as a volunteer.

Read this article for more general information

Donation links

Supplies for the military

Update: You can donate to the Armed Forces of Ukraine directly now. All the funds donated directly or to either of these orgs will be used for logistical and medical support.

Come Back AliveArmy SOSPhoenix WingsVostok SOS

Medical supplies

Razom for UkraineUnited Help UkraineFundraiser for Sunflower of PeaceRevived Soldiers UkraineHospitaliers

Helping the volunteers

Ukrainian Red Cross

Helping the veterans

UWVM/Veteranka

Helping children affected by war

Voices of Children

Journalism

You can donate to The Kyiv Independent to keep the curtains up for the independent Ukrainian English-language journalism: Patreon, GoFundMe

Artists of Ukraine have made significant contributions to the global dance community throughout history. We are thinking of them and holding all Ukrainians in our hearts as we hope for a better world and an end to oppression for all people. FREEDOM – PEACE – LOVE

DONATE: For those looking to make a contribution, this list of places to donate was assembled by a group of Ukrainians and has been shared by journalists worldwide: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/

LEARN: If you want to learn more about the background to the situation:- Read this Kyiv Post article, “10 popular misconceptions about Ukraine debunked”: https://www.kyivpost.com/…/10-popular-misconceptions…

Watch Netflix’s documentary Winter On Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RibAQHeDia8–

Listen to this podcast by Ukraine World on how Russia uses disinformation as an instrument of war: https://ukraineworld.org/podcasts/ep-65#SupportUkraine

[image error] A Prayer of Peace for the People of Ukraine by Rabbi Naomi Levy

God, Our hearts are with all the people of Ukraine,
Its president, Volodymyr Zelensky,
And with our Jewish brothers and sisters in Ukraine
200,000 souls
Who crouch in fear
As the sound of sirens and bombs pierces the air.
Synagogues once filled with songs of celebration
Have become makeshift shelters.
Echos of the Holocaust reverberate,
The memory of the one-and-a-half million
Martyred Ukrainian Jews.

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Ways to Help the Ukraine from Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback and Stephen Wise Temple

[image error] YOU Can Help Rescue the Refugees at the Ukrainian Border

Please reach out with other resources and I will add them so that we can help the people of the Ukraine.

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Insight Vacations tour guide rescues refugees at Ukraine...

Insight Vacations tour guide rescues refugees at Ukraine border https://t.co/9LdpxKJ7vu #TravelWeekly @InsightVacation

— Tim Pendlebury (@InsightTim) March 1, 2022

The post appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

The post appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

The post appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

YOU Can Help Rescue the Refugees at the Ukrainian Border

Are you wondering how to help the people in the Ukraine? [image error]

When I travel, I always want local knowledge and fortunately two of the smartest travel people I know shared the following– Cyd Cunniff shared John Boulding‘s post, who I traveled with in Italy when he was CEO for Insight Vacations, about what Tim Pendlebury is doing to rescue refugees:

TRAVEL WEEKLY UK: Insight Vacations tour guide rescues refugees at Ukraine border

By Samantha Mayling | March 01, 2022, 17:46

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Pictured: Tim and his wife Sabina (right) with Natalia and Darya.

Poland-based Insight Vacations tour guide Tim Pendlebury has rescued a mother and daughter fleeing the war in Ukraine and set up an appeal to support refugees escaping the conflict.

He drove 300km to the Poland-Ukraine border over the weekend to collect Natalia and her daughter Darya, then helped them reunite with Natalia’s older daughter Alina, who is studying in Poznan, Poland.

The father of the family, Vadim, remains in the capital, Kyiv, as men are not allowed to leave.

Pendlebury has also set up a fundraiser on Facebook to support a Polish charity, Caritas Polska, which is helping Ukrainians arriving at the border.

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A post shared by Tim Pendlebury (@travelling_insighttim)

In just two days, he has raised £4,257 from friends, family and followers on social media.

He met the family four years ago in the Polish city of Krakow, as they needed directions, and had exchanged social media handles.

Last week, he contacted them to ask about their situation and heard about Natalia and Darya’s bid to escape and reunite with the older daughter in Poland, so set off to meet them.

“It was organised chaos at the border, with lots of charities and frightened women and children coming out – and Ukrainian men going the other way,” said Pendlebury.

The pair had experienced a long and tiring escape – a normal 20-minute journey out of the capital had taken five hours, then a drive to their home village in western Ukraine, between Kyiv and the Polish border, had taken 20 hours instead of the usual four.

“When the traffic queue at the border didn’t move for hours, they decided to leave their luggage and walk the last 10km, and then the processing on the border took hours,” he said.

“They had not slept for several nights, and had heard missiles and bombs,” said Pendlebury.

By the time he met them, it was 3.45am – but they finally reached his home at 8am on Sunday in the small village of Gilowice, near the border with Slovakia.

He got clothes for Darya from friends and relatives before they headed to Poznan to be with Alina.

Pendlebury is now on a Polish government list, ready to help another family of four – or friends and family of Natalia and Vadim.

“We have become instant friends with the family and we want to visit them in Kyiv when this is all over,” said Pendlebury.

“Natalia and Darya were thankful, happy and emotional when they came to us – one day they were living a normal life and none of us expected Putin to invade…then it happened.

“They heard the dull thud of bombs and their lives changed – she was a banker and economist with a sideline of making and selling jewellery on Etsy.

“Now, for the past three or four days all they want is sleep, peace and a hot shower.”

He said there is a great sense of unity and “enormous collective effort” in Poland to help the Ukrainians.

As well as setting up his fundraiser, he’s buying supplies such as food and nappies from his local supermarket to donate to the Red Cross.

His appeal has received donations from his home country of Australia plus New Zealand, South Africa, US, Canada, the UK and Europe – and he has had support from colleagues at Insight vacations and its parent The Travel Corporation, where he has worked for the past 24 years.

He shared a clip of himself heading to the border to show his followers “the human aspect” of the war and how refugees “are people, just like us”.

Donations from for tour leaders and tour directors were particularly remarkable, he added, because many of them had experienced a “tough time” during the Covid crisis and not working.

He hopes to start tours in Poland again in the spring and said he will work on creating a new travel itinerary, a journey through Poland and Ukraine in the years ahead.

His appeal is called ‘Helping Ukrainian women, children & elderly fleeing Putin’s aggression’ because he said “most Russians” are against the conflict, according to feedback from his colleagues in Russia.

Want to join me in supporting a good cause? I’m raising money for Caritas Polska and your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate a lot or a little. Anything helps. Thank you for your support. Caritas Polska are providing immediate assistance to refugees fleeing the violence in Ukraine. At Poland’s borders they are there with food, water, blankets, beds & shelter, organizing and doing a great job amidst the influx of hundreds of thousands of people.Facebook pays all the processing fees for you, so 100% of your donation goes directly to the charity. 

FIND TIM on social media: Instagram @travelling_insighttim; Facebook @InsightTim; YouTube, Once Upon A Time In Krakow; and Twitter @InsightTim.

Insight Vacations tour guide rescues refugees at Ukraine border https://t.co/9LdpxKJ7vu #TravelWeekly @InsightVacation

— Tim Pendlebury 🌍✈️ (@InsightTim) March 1, 2022

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Ways to Help the Ukraine from Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback & Stephen Wise Temple

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From Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback and Stephen Wise Temple:

Like many of our congregants, the Wise temple and school staff watched in horror as Russian forces invaded the sovereign nation of Ukraine last week. For many, it brought back echoes of 1938, when Adolf Hitler annexed the Sudetenland under a similar pretense; as well, many of us remembered our own family members fleeing the region amidst fear and terror.

Many of you have reached out wondering what we can do. We have created a resource page for those in our community looking to help our fellow Jews and others in Ukraine, for those looking to learn more about the crisis, and for parents who want to find the right way to discuss these events with their children. If you have family currently in the region, we hope you will reach out to our clergy for pastoral and other support; we keep them in our prayers for peace and safety.

In addition, Rabbi Yoshi will be facilitating two upcoming webinars with experts in international relations and the Russia-Ukraine relationship. Participants will have the opportunity to submit questions.

Conversations About Ukraine: Special Wise Webinars
Rabbi Yoshi will be facilitating two upcoming webinars with experts in international relations and the Russia-Ukraine relationship. Participants will have the opportunity to submit and ask questions.

WEBINAR: Conversations About Ukraine: Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback and the Honorable Ambassador Gary Grappo
Thursday, March 3 at 6 p.m. | Register
Former Ambassador Gary Grappo served as the Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister Counselor of the United States Mission in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, before a posting as the United States Ambassador to Oman. He is currently the Vice President in Charge of External Relations Vice Presidency Unit for the Global Bank Disaster Risk Reduction and Reconstruction Fund, and is an adjunct faculty member at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.

WEBINAR: Conversations About Ukraine: Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback and Professor Kathryn Stoner, Ph.D.
Wednesday, March 9 at 5:30 p.m. | Register
A senior fellow at the Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. Kathryn Stoner is also the Mosbacher Director of Stanford’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. With a long history of published scholarship on both Soviet and post-Soviet Russia, she has served on the faculty of Princeton and Columbia. Her books include “Resisting the State: Reform and Retrenchment in Post-Soviet Russia” (2006) and “Russia Resurrected: Its Power and Purpose in a New Global Order” (2017).

For those of you with family in the region, please reach out to us at letsconnect@wisela.org if we can be of pastoral or other support. [image error] Read Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback‘s article in The Forward: “Jewish history is repeating itself in Ukraine. This time, we must fight Putin back“ [image error] Ways to help

IsraAID Emergency Response Team

IsraAID is an international non-governmental humanitarian aid organization based in Israel. It is deploying an emergency team to Moldova, which saw more than 15,800 Ukrainian refugees crossing the countries’ shared border within the first 24 hours after the Russian invasion. IsraAID’s team will provide urgent relief, psychological first aid, and conduct ongoing assessments to prepare for additional responses as the situation evolves.

IsraAID has extensive experience working with refugees all around the globe. extensively with refugees and displaced populations, working in emergency and long-term development settings in more than 50 countries around the globe since it was founded in 2001.

Any funds not utilized as part of this response will be used as part of IsraAID’s Emergency Response Fund. DONATE TO ISRAAID

Assisting Refugees

HIAS, which is the oldest refugee resettlement organization in the United States, is accepting emergency donations that can be made as either one-time or recurring gifts. HIAS is responding to the crisis with emergency humanitarian assistance to the thousands displaced by the Russian invasion.

DONATE TO HIAS

JCC Krakow

The Jewish Community Center of Krakow is actively housing Ukrainians fleeing the war. JCC Krakow is also providing food, clothing, medicine, sanitary products, psychological counseling, and legal aid to those escaping to Poland.

FRIENDS OF JCC KRAKOW

Resources for Learners

Our Wise community includes not just our temple families, but our students, as well as the teens in our youth programs. On this page, you will find helpful resources on how to talk to your children about war and conflict, and about what is happening in Ukraine.

How to Talk With Students About the Russia-Ukraine War

How to Talk To Your Kids About the Russia-Ukraine Crisis

Resources for Educators, Families to Discuss the Invasion of Ukraine with Students

Kids Britannica – All About Ukraine

Kids Briannica – All About Russia

Promoting Compassion and Acceptance in Crisis

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