Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on March 26, 2022

Greg Keselman is worried about his wifes family outside Kyiv. Her brother, his wife and kids spend most of their time huddled in shelters to escape the shelling. Theres not much that Keselman, who grew up in Ukraine and now lives in Pleasant Hill, can do other than stay in touch.

Theyre alive, he said. This is the most important. They have enough food and water, at least for now.

Although he cant get them out, he can help them through this traumatic time. Keselman has just been approved for a loan from Hebrew Free Loan, which recently set up a program for this very purpose. HFL will provide up to $20,000 to qualified applicants who want to help friends and family in Ukraine, and Keselman is using that money to directly support his in-laws.

We try to do anything we can, but I dont know how much we can help more, he said.

Hebrew Free Loan executive director Cindy Rogoway said the San Francisco-based organization considered different ways it could support Ukrainians.

Its fair to say we, like everyone else here, feel like our hands are tied, Rogoway said. What can we do?

The answer was to do what Hebrew Free Loan does best: Give out interest-free loans to Jewish residents of Northern California or employees of Jewish organizations. The money can be used for food, housing, transportation or other humanitarian needs related to the crisis in Ukraine.

Keselman, who has been in the U.S. since 1994, has been trying to persuade his sister-in-law and kids to flee Ukraine his brother-in-law is of fighting age and has to stay, and a nephew is already in the army. But he said theyre scared to make the dangerous journey to the border.

Hed like to bring the family to the Bay Area, if the U.S. opens up a channel for refugees as it did for Jews leaving the Soviet Union starting with the Cold War.

In the meantime, Keselman said he is grateful for the support HFL is providing. Hes also been making his own donations to support aid efforts, as well as urging people to get behind the movement calling for NATO to create a no-fly zone over his beleaguered country to sign all kinds of petitions and convince our government to close the sky over Ukraine, he said something Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for repeatedly.

NATO has been reluctant to take this action, as enforcing it would most likely lead to actual combat with Russia, something Europe and the U.S. hope to avoid.

Other than advocating for his country and supporting his in-laws stuck near Kyiv, Keselman said there is little he can do to help.

This is the most difficult part, Keselman said. Because you cannot actually do anything.

See the original post:

Hebrew Free Loan offers cash to locals with family in Ukraine J. - The Jewish News of Northern California

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